A quick personal thread about my experience, as an ordinary EU citizen in the UK, of trying to be heard by those in charge of Brexit negotiations, on both sides of the channel. There has been a shocking difference between the two sides. 1/ 
In February 2017, I was part of a small group of volunteers within @the3million who wrote a letter about our Brexit worries for EU citizens in the UK. We sent it to the 3 Brussels institutions and David Davis. 2/
Within a fortnight of our letter, Michel Barnier wrote back to us, inviting us to a meeting on 28 March 2017, which just so happened to be the day before article 50 was triggered. 3/
By this time we had established links with our friends the @BritishInEurope, as we realised our issues were very symmetrical with theirs, and we were all in the same boat. We asked Mr Barnier if he would agree to meet us together. 4/
Mr Barnier agreed to meet @the3million and @BritishInEurope together, and I went to that first meeting on the 28th March 17, which was was quite something for me - I had no previous experience of politics, never been to Brussels, and was not a trained 'lobbyist' or 'advocate'. 5/
On the 29th March, @the3million wrote to Theresa May asking for a meeting. This was answered 35 days later, explaining how the upcoming general election meant that the PM was unable to commit to a meeting, and would we please write to her again after the election. 6/
Theresa May finally wrote to @the3million on the 20th July, thanking us for our engagement and suggesting we continue to keep in touch with the Home Office. No meeting offered however. 7/
Since then we have continued to request meetings with Theresa May, David Davis and Dominic Raab. Remember that by we, I include @BritishInEurope (about whom Theresa May kept protesting that she was desperate to secure their rights, and therefore she could not guarantee ours.) 8/
We tried all sorts of requests; public, Twitter, private, or roundabout using other contacts . We got updates from the Home Office after negotiations, but never from those in charge of negotiations, who needed to hear and understand our concerns. 9/
Having never met with @the3million or @BritishInEurope, all we got from Theresa May were two "Open Letters" (19 Oct '17 and 12 Dec '17 - both JUST before her appearance at an EU council meeting!) reassuring EU citizens in the UK with warm words, but not a shred of substance. 10/
Meanwhile, since that first Brussels meeting, we (@the3million and @BritishInEurope together) have had multiple meetings with Michel Barnier, Sabine Weyand and their A50 Team at the Commission. We also had many meetings at the Council and the European Parliament. 11/
These meetings on the EU side were tough. I cried after one of the earlier meetings as I realised the potential implications for some citizens. They were heated when we were told the Withdrawal Agreement might not include freedom of movement for @BritishInEurope. 12/
But the meetings were respectful, based on facts, substance, detail - even if it was not always what we wanted to hear. And our input was valued and listened to. They continued to meet with us and kept us informed after rounds of negotiations. 13/
When Dominic Raab became Brexit Secretary, I thought we might have a chance. After all, he was injecting “energy, vigour and vim”, he is my MP, and we've met before. So I wrote to him, asking for an urgent meeting specifically about our concerns in the event of no deal. 14/
(There's a lot that the UK cannot unilaterally fix for us - like pension aggregation: it NEEDS co-operation with the EU. So we ask for lifting the citizens rights part of the WA out of 'nothing is agreed until everything is agreed', and honouring it even if there is no deal.) 15/
I wrote on the 16th July, requesting an urgent meeting, and got a reply on the 30th August. Dominic Raab explained that to avoid a conflict of interest between his Ministerial role and constituency MP, he asked the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to respond. 16/
My letter had two elements in it - it asked SPECIFIC questions about No Deal preparations for @the3million and @BritishInEurope, and it asked for a meeting.
None of the No Deal issues were addressed. And there was no mention of a meeting. 17/
None of the No Deal issues were addressed. And there was no mention of a meeting. 17/
But the worst was, that both Dominic Raab and Suella Braverman told me that I did not need to worry because "the UK has reached an agreement with the EU which provides certainty about their rights going forward".
They even enclosed a copy of the Dec 2017 Joint Report. 18/
They even enclosed a copy of the Dec 2017 Joint Report. 18/
I have now written back to ask whether they understand that in the event of No Deal, the Withdrawal Agreement does not apply, and the Dec 2017 Joint Report is irrelevant. I would have hoped that DExEU would have known this? As they are in charge of No Deal preparations? 19/
I have also asked with more urgency whether Dominic Raab will meet with @the3million and @BritishInEurope, as I am genuinely concerned that the government (still) does not understand our concerns. 20/20
