European Movement in , Kensington, Chelsea & News No. 5 – January 2018

WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR where to find us New Year greetings to EM members, Question your MEPs https://emhkcf.nationbuilder.com associates and all those ready to What are they doing www.facebook.com/emhkcf pass the time of day with us. about Brexit? 25 January 19.00 MEPs have an important place in the @emhkcf This is a crucial year for all who care politics of Brexit. Under the Treaty of [email protected] about our European membership Lisbon, the European Council needs Committee and who, for many reasons dread to obtain the European Parliament’s Chair – Anne Corbett. being cut out of the EU. consent before it can conclude the [email protected] In May there are the local elections UK/EU27 withdrawal agreement. Secretary – Mike Vessey in which EU citizens have the right They have already reacted with their [email protected] to vote. In October, the UK and EU ‘red lines’. Might they scupper the final Treasurer & Membership institutions aim to have an outline deal (if there is one)? Or will they try to Secretary – Clare Singleton. agreement for the UK’s withdrawal reform it? [email protected] from the EU on the still unknown We are pleased to welcome a cross- Local campaigners terms as to whether we are heading party group of MEPs and former Hammersmith – Keith Mallinson for a ‘hard’ or a soft’ Brexit. And MP to our panel discussion tonight, Kensington – Virginie Dhouibi before March 29, 2019, there needs chaired by Denis MacShane, former Chelsea & Fulham – Christo to be a political agreement between Minister for Europe. Nicholas the UK and EU 27 on the terms on which the UK exits the EU. Venue: Irish Cultural Centre, Fundraising and inter-group W6 9DT. liaison – Robert McFarland Unless... unless the country steps back. Jacques Delors used to say a 25 January 19.00 hours. Details and University action coordinator – Sunil Varma well placed pebble can change the registration on our website. course of a river. Our branch could very local campaign to #Stop Brexit. Trade unions, associations and be one of those pebbles that causes Referendum questions are for later. charities contact point the Government to change direction – Keith Mallinson, Ian Jones if we exploit four factors. We hope to see you at a variety of pro-Europe activities in the coming Communications Here is the message for the three weeks. We are reachable through Social media and digital constituencies of Hammersmith, Mark Richardson, Richard Bate, Facebook, Twitter and live events. We Kensington, Chelsea & Fulham and Claire Gordon can help you spread the message to the two Councils of Hammersmith family, friends and colleagues should Newsletter – Virginie Dhouibi, and the Royal Borough of Kensington you wish. Richard Bate & Anne Corbett and Chelsea: Details above of this week’s ‘Question join us a) Brexit is not a done deal Time’ with Members of the European If you would like to become a local b) In a democracy we have the right Parliament and former MPs, and of branch member please contact to change our minds. the upcoming EM Action Days to alert Clare Singleton at the email below c) MPs are usually attentive to their the public on such issues as the dire [email protected] constituents (and in most of West future for the NHS if it loses EU staff London they are remainers too and EU regulatory standards, and the Unsubscribe? Please email us at and they will have a ‘meaningful problems for science and medicine say on the final deal) (cancer treatment especially) if we are [email protected]’ d) our Councils play a crucial role. At out of Euratom. There is also a Truth the moment we have one onside Bus Tour which will stop locally. Some and one against. light-hearted events will be revealed in the next newsletter. As a grass roots organisation within the European Movement we are We welcome your ideas and therefore asking you to support a your energy. Anne Corbett

EM-HKCF newsletter 2018/01 - 1 Studying in London? HOlding our MP’s to account EU citizens of 18 & over who are resident in Article 50 and Withdrawal Bill the UK can vote in the local elections, next General Elections 2015 & 2017 up 03/05/17 in many areas. It’s easy: Hammersmith – https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/11559/andrew_ A chance for you to make your voice heard! slaughter/hammersmith #stopbrexit Andrew Slaughter is a Labour MP, and on the vast majority of issues votes the same way as other Labour MPs. Étudiant a Londres? Savez vous que les citoyens européens Andrew Slaughter campaigned to remain in the majeurs peuvent voter aux élections locales ? Les prochaines seront le 3 mai 2018 dans Kensington – de nombreuses villes. Inscrivez-vous sur https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/25706/emma_dent_ https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote coad/kensington et faites-vous entendre! #stopbrexit Emma Dent Coad is a Labour MP, and on the vast majority of issues votes the same way as other Labour MPs. Almost Studieren Sie in London? always voted for more EU integration (No information on EU Einwohner die in Großbrittanien referendum vote on this site) wohnhaft sind können ab dem 18. Lebensjahr an den lokalen Wahlen Chelsea and Fulham – Greg Hands teilnehmen. Die nächsten Wahlen finden https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/11610/greg_hands/ am 3. Mai statt. Es ist sehr einfach: chelsea_and_fulham https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Greg Hands is a Conservative MP, and on the vast majority Es gilt als ihre große Chance Ihre Stimme of issues votes the same way as other Conservative MPs. zählbar zu machen He has never rebelled against his party in the current parliament. Greg Hands campaigned to remain in the Studente a Londra? European Union I cittadini UE di almeno 18 anni residenti in UK possono votare nelle elezioni Slaughter Dent Coad Hands amministrative: in molte zone le prossime saranno lo 03/05/18. È facile: Art 50 Amendment 7 Yes Yes No https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote Purpose: Allow parliament to have final vote on final Brexit bill Un’opportunità’ per far sentire la propria The EU Withdrawal Bill Yes Yes No voce! #fermiamobrexit #stopbrexit #londra Amendment NC 11 Purpose: To provide Parliament with the option of rejecting the Studiujesz w Londynie? Brexit deal as well as the no deal option Obywatele UE mający ukończone 18 lat i będący rezydentami w Wielkiej Brytanii Comment: mogą głosować do 3 maja 2017 roku w Earlier in December, the House of Commons provided lokalnych wyborach. To proste: encouraging signs of resistance to the Hard Brexit the https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Government appears to be trying to implement. The To szansa by Twój głos został usłyszany. final Withdrawal Bill will now have to be approved by our #stopbrexit MPs. This result owed much to vigorous campaigning for Estudas em Londres? Parliamentary sovereignty to be asserted for the major Cidadãos da União Europeia maiores de 18 constitutional change implied by Brexit. anos e residentes no Reino Unido podem This momentum was not maintained in January following votar nas eleições locais em 03/05/2018. a rejection by the Commons to support the amendment É fácil: NC11 of the Withdrawal Bill. That amendment would have https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote strengthened Parliament’s sovereignty by giving MPs Usa esta oportunidade para fazer ouvir a the option to not only reject a ‘no deal’ but also the final tua voz! #stopbrexit agreement itself. The amendment to force the government Estudiando en Londres? to publish the assessment of the impact of the final deal Ciudadanos de la UE pueden votar en las was lost. The encouraging news is that this was only elecciones locales, la proxima el 3 de Mayo rejected by a majority of 19 votes de 2018 en diferentes areas. Es facil The Withdrawal Bill now goes to the Lords where strong https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote opposition to it can be expected, though by convention the una opcion para que su voz se oiga! Lords cannot oppose the Commons’ will as expressed at #paraelbrexit Third Reading.

EM-HKCF newsletter 2018/01 - 2 EM-HKCF member writes As I see Brexit RECENT activities I moved to the UK 13 years ago from : Lyric Sq Christmas Market Stall Dec 2: Hammersmith Paris. I had just graduated and was Fulham: North End Rd Christmas Market Stall Dec 9: looking for something different to In both cases volunteers collected hundreds of signatures to support satisfy my hunger for new horizons. Free EM-HKCF and also for a petition to the Government to release the movement within the EU allowed me to impact studies of Brexit, and that in freezing weather. We distributed move to the UK as easily as moving from leaflets, stickers and business cards. There was interest from all sectors of the population, young and old. It was striking how many Paris to anywhere in France. I landed said to us ‘you mean it is not decided?’. in Bracknell where I was working for an IT constructor and started discovering FUTURE EVENTS Action Day January 27: Focus of the day will include raising the British culture and the richness of awareness on the impact of Brexit on the NHS, cancer treatments and London. I fell in love with the country Euratom very quickly and became the best advocate Kensington: Farmers’ Market behind Notting Hill Gate tube station of the openness of Britain, its people and 11.00-12.00. Contact: Virginie its inclusive culture and diversity of art, Fulham: Outside Fulham Broadway shopping centre 13.00-15.00. food and multicultural citizens. Contact: Christo I had lived in two other countries before Hammersmith: Lyric Square/King Street 11.00-13.00. contact: Claire moving to the UK and I had always felt Brexit Truth Bus comes to Hammersmith February 21 foreign there. In the UK, for the first time, Remember Boris’ Red Brexit Bus? The big red bus that travelled the land with the ‘£350m for the NHS’ splashed down the side. It was I felt at home. I felt I was welcome and a lie the UK Statistics Authority said. But it kept on being repeated. I had opportunities I wouldn’t have had anywhere else to work, grow, contribute and progress.

I used to say that contrary to other cities, London was facing outwards into the world rather than inwards. For all these reasons, when I qualified (and was able to afford it), I decided to become British: The UK was my home, I wanted to be Whether you voted Leave or Remain we can all agree that lies undermine our democracy. officially part of it, I wanted to be able to vote and have my voice heard. It only EM-HKCF has supported a Camden for Europe initiative to redress the took a few weeks before I was able to falsehoods with a fact filled, fully sourced, treasure trove of Truth. They will be demonstrating that the lie that there would be £350m a week pledge allegiance to the Queen and was ploughed back into the NHS with Brexit was a cruel trick played on naturalised in September 2013. those who don’t follow all the ins and outs of Brexit. The day after the referendum, I felt angry, The bus is on a two-week national tour. It comes to Hammersmith deflated and upset that all the principles on February 21 where it will be supported by local MPs and the local I held and the key reasons for becoming Council. British disappeared overnight. I spent Look out for further details on Facebook and Twitter as we near the several months feeling rejected and kept day. Link to details: questioning my perceived openness of the https://camdenforeurope.org/2017/12/12/the-big-truth-bus/ country. The European Movement and the rise of the opposition have given me new February 1 March 24 – on the anniversary of triggering Article 50. hope that Britain remains the country More details to come closer to the date on Facebook and Twitter. I encountered 13 years ago. I therefore Local elections – May 3 decided to join the movement so that I continue the fight with my compatriots NEXT ISSUE and fellow European citizens for the good A spotlight on the local elections of what is now MY country. Education – defending our right to study, work and live in the EU EM-HKCF newsletter 2018/01 - 3 EM-HKCF member writes

Robert McFarland: on why Parliamentary sovereignty is superior to the ‘will of the people’s The referendum vote seems to have However, beyond that, established in a lot of people’s minds an MP’s overriding duty is the legitimacy of the concept of the ‘will of the people’. In a country with to act & vote in accordance an unwritten constitution and where, with the national interest therefore, precedence is all, this is and with their conscience serious. Since 1689, and arguably before, the British constitution is clear – a doctrine that goes back to the that sovereignty lies with the Queen in writings of Edmund Burke and John Parliament. Stuart Mill, among the great names of European political philosophy MPs in Westminster before the and foundational references for the referendum had around a 3:1 majority British constitution. If the referendum in favour of Remain. However, the and it’s fallout has compromised this embrace of direct democracy embodied Burkean/J S Mill view of the essence in the concept of the ‘will of the people’ of parliamentary democracy, then the in a country with no such tradition, and UK has undergone nothing less than a indeed one with legal defences against revolution, non-violent though it may be. it, made it difficult, although not totally impossible, for MPs to do anything other Possibly all is not yet lost. Since the acquiesce to the decisions of the Tory triggering of Article 50, there have been leadership. signs both in the work of parliamentary committees, and in the passing of critical Even when forced by the Supreme Court amendments to the EU Withdrawal decision that Parliament to take ultimate Bill, that Parliament is reasserting the responsibility, a large majority of MPs fundamental concept of the MP as a none the less allowed the Government to representative rather than a delegate. trigger Article 50 prematurely; one of the most patently foolish & unforced acts of In this vigorous reassertion of self-harm in modern British history. parliamentary sovereignty lies the main hope of reversing Brexit. Members of Parliament are of course accountable to their electorate, and assuredly they are bound to show loyalty to their party (both because they were to at least some degree elected because of their party affiliation & programme, and because governing and opposing becomes impossible unless they do).

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