Valerie signs amendment to protect citizens’ rights after Brexit

Parliament voted on a several amendments to a motion put to the House by the Prime Minister on 27 February 2019. These included an amendment tabled by Alberto Costa which I supported by adding my name to. The amendment called on the Government to seek protections for UK citizens in the EU and EU citizens in the UK after Brexit.

The amendment was to the Prime Minister’s original motion:

“That this House notes the Prime Minister’s statement on Leaving the European Union of 26 February 2019; and further notes that discussions between the UK and the EU are ongoing.”

Amendment B (the ‘Costa Amendment’) was passed unanimously and added the following to the end of the Government’s motion:

“; and requires the Prime Minister to seek at the earliest opportunity a joint UK-EU commitment to adopt part two of the Withdrawal Agreement on Citizens’ Rights and ensure its implementation prior to the UK’s exiting the European Union, whatever the outcome of negotiations on other aspects of the Withdrawal Agreement.”.

The amended motion was later passed by a majority of 482 (Ayes: 502, Noes: 20). Alberto Costa resigned from a Government post in order to table the amendment, only for it to gain such cross-party support that the Government later announced it would be supporting the amendment.

I voted for the amended motion as it puts pressure on the government to provide certainty to citizens of the UK and the EU about their rights after the UK leaves the EU.

This is a very important step in ensuring that the rights of working people are protected independently of the government’s deeply flawed Withdrawal Agreement.