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Britons could pay annual fee to retain benefits of EU citizenship after Brexit Britons could pay fee to retain benefits of EU citizenship after Brexit, says Europe's chief negotiator
(about 11 hours later)
Britons could pay to retain the benefits of European Union citizenship after Brexit under plans being considered by MEPs. A plan for Britons to retain the right to live and work in the EU – for a fee – has won the backing of the European Parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator.
The European Parliament's lead Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt said he supported the principle of the idea, which would see UK citizens sending an annual fee to Brussels. As The Independent revealed earlier this month, MEPs will consider a proposal to grant British citizens the right to claim “associate citizenship”, after withdrawal is completed.
The former Belgian prime minister said Britons who voted Remain did not want to sever their links to the EU. Now the idea has won the important backing of Guy Verhofstadt, the former Belgian Prime Minister who held talks with Brexit Secretary David Davis this week.
"Many say 'we don't want to cut our links'," he told The Times. "I like the idea that people who are European citizens and saying they want to keep it have the possibility of doing so. As a principle I like it." Mr Verhofstadt – an open supporter of a ‘United States of Europe’, has made himself a champion for the "rights of the 48 per cent" of British voters who voted for Remain.
MEPs will vote on the proposals by the end of the year, but any Brexit deal with the UK would have to have the agreement of the leaders of the other 27 EU nations as well as the parliament. “Many say 'We don't want to cut our links',” he told The Times newspaper.
Brexit-backing Tory MP Andrew Bridgen warned that Brussels would attempt anything to prevent the UK leaving the the EU. “I like the idea that people who are European citizens and saying they want to keep it have the possibility of doing so. As a principle I like it.”
He told the newspaper: "It's an attempt to create two classes of UK citizen and to subvert the referendum vote. The comments are a significant boost to the campaign, which could also see British citizens retain the right to vote in European Parliament elections after Brexit.
"The truth is that Brussels will try every trick in the book to stop us leaving." Proposed by Charles Goerens, a Liberal MEP from Luxembourg, Amendment 882 is due to be considered by the Parliament’s constitutional affairs committee on December 8.
Meanwhile, the Scottish and Welsh governments have set out their legal objections to Mrs May triggering Article 50 - the formal mechanism for leaving the EU - without seeking parliamentary approval. Mr Goerens said: “Between 15 and 30 million British citizens deeply regret Brexit.
The UK Government has appealed to the Supreme Court after judges ruled that MPs must be given a say before she can fire the Brexit starting gun. “My amendment was tabled in order to get European citizenship for those British citizens who want to keep their citizenship.”
But Scotland's Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC will argue that the consent of Holyrood should also be required before Mrs May can notify fellow EU leaders of the formal start of the process. Mr Goerens has suggested the scheme could even be free, but Mr Verhofstadt’s plan is for Britons to pay an annual membership fee to “opt in” to citizenship.
In a written submission to the Supreme Court, he said triggering Article 50 "cannot lawfully be made by an exercise of the prerogative alone" would require an Act of Parliament and would also require the legislative consent of the Scottish Parliament. It is thought it would be particularly popular with young people, who stand to lose the most from losing the right to live and work in other European countries.
Counsel General for Wales Mick Antoniw echoed those views in a written statement, stressing that he was "not seeking to reverse the referendum result" but a new law would need to be passed at Westminster and Mrs May could not "short circuit" the requirement for the devolved institutions to give their consent. However, the idea would have to be approved by all EU nations to become part of any exit deal with Britain - and, predictably, has already drawn the fire of some Brexit supporters.
The Supreme Court has also given permission for pro-Brexit group Lawyers for Britain to file written submissions on the case. Andrew Bridgen, Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire, said: “It's an attempt to create two classes of UK citizen and to subvert the referendum vote. The truth is that Brussels will try every trick in the book to stop us leaving.”
Jayne Adye, director of the Get Britain Out campaign, told The Independent: “This is an outrage. The EU is now attempting to divide the great British public at the exact moment we need unity.
 “It is totally unacceptable for certain citizens in the UK to subject themselves to laws which are created by politicians who are not accountable the British people as a whole.”
Mr Verhofstadt, leader of the liberal bloc of MEPs in the Parliament, admitted there would be opposition from MEPs who “think it is too easy” to allow Britons to choose citizenship.
He added: “I don't know if it will fly or not - there are big differences of view here in the Parliament.” Some MEPs asked “why stay in the EU if your citizens can have the advantages of European citizenship”.