Verbatim report of proceedings

Tuesday, 14 January 2020 - Strasbourg

Implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement (debate)

  Sheila Ritchie (Renew). – Madam President, the big issue today breaks into two parts: the rights of EU citizens in the United Kingdom and the rights of British citizens in the EU 27 countries. But the underlying problem is the same: right—wing, dictatorial, nationalistic populism.

Notwithstanding Mr Van Orden’s fine words, we fear a bonfire of our human rights. We Europeans in Britain will fight tooth and nail to protect those whose status our Home Office threatens.

My postbag is crammed with pleas from Brits desperate not to lose their European rights. You have the power to protect them, to protect us. Please do not require a quid pro quo but be generous to us. I – to paraphrase Socrates – am not only a citizen of Scotland and Britain, but of Europe and the world. And I don’t want to lose any of those identities.

(Applause)