Sunday 12 February 2017

Anna Soubry's part in our collective shame

An extract from Anna Soubry's  Broxtowe constituency e-mail yesterday about why she did not vote for the Brexit (Article 50) Bill amendment to enshrine the right of EU citizens living here to stay in the UK in law:

'I very much trust the word of the Prime Minister, Theresa May. I have no doubt she understands why EU citizens living in Britain must be allowed to stay after we have left the EU. I believe the PM understands the need to settle this matter as soon as possible especially as the uncertainty has badly affected a number of EU citizens. The Home Secretary has given assurances as well. On the basis this matter will be a priority and knowing that Parliament can and no doubt will resolve it if the Government doesn't, I decided not to back an amendment to enshrine the rights of EU citizens in the Bill.'

As my wife Susan says something happens to otherwise decent people when they become MPs. They leave their humanity and any comprehension of the real world at Parliament's entrance. At this moment EU citizens living in the UK are having to live with a totally unnecessary uncertainty because MPs like Anna Soubry decided to 'trust' a prime minister willing to create such uncertainty in the first place.

This issue is above party politics and there are  ordinary, otherwise decent, people who believe Brexit will see the mass deportation of EU citizens. That we have a government willing to use people as bargaining chips should fill us with collective shame.

Anna, you were wrong not to hold the Prime Minister you 'trust' to account when you had the opportunity, but as to how you look EU citizens living in Broxtowe in the eyes in the meantime I have no idea, for what you should do is hang your head in personal shame.

I really thought you were much much better than this.

1 comment:

  1. A FOOTNOTE: A leaked EU report, according to The Guardian today, says the UK government's treatment of EU nationals is already causing problems for UK nationals in some EU member countries. So it begins...

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