This heartfelt & (justifiably) bitter point about the disgraceful treatment of EU citizens is dead right👇
I know from direct experience that the most senior govt officials & our most prominent political journalists just didn’t get it, or didn’t care.
And still don’t.
A🧵/1.
I know from direct experience that the most senior govt officials & our most prominent political journalists just didn’t get it, or didn’t care.
And still don’t.
A🧵/1.
https://twitter.com/EUMarauder/status/1480468985284116484
Before you @ me: I’m not suggesting senior civil servants or top journalists are ogres. Nor that every individual behaved identically.
But I can assure you, I’ve pursued this at the highest levels. /2.
But I can assure you, I’ve pursued this at the highest levels. /2.
The answer has always been (+/-):
- it isn’t really an issue
- the arrangements proposed/ implemented are fine
- if the courts say they’re illegal, we’ll pay attention
- but why should we otherwise? /3.
- it isn’t really an issue
- the arrangements proposed/ implemented are fine
- if the courts say they’re illegal, we’ll pay attention
- but why should we otherwise? /3.
The fact millions of people’s established citizenship rights in the UK were being arbitrarily removed, purely because they belonged to a government-defined, disfavoured group (EU citizens without British Citizenship), not a favoured group (British Citizens), was dismissed. /4.
The ghastly echoes of the 1935 Nuremberg Laws, which removed citizenship rights from whole categories of people, replacing with inferior status, were either missed or, as in the case of some prominent legal figures, furiously rejected as tasteless, hysterical, inappropriate. /5.
And - most tellingly - a personal affront to them professionally, facilitating (as they do) the implementation of this grotesque injustice - in the name of “law”.
Again, don’t @ me. I know better than most what’s happened so far is only a weak echo of the Nuremberg Laws. /6.
Again, don’t @ me. I know better than most what’s happened so far is only a weak echo of the Nuremberg Laws. /6.
Such an echo is already truly ghastly.
And if you don’t react when it’s ghastly, what makes you think you’ll bother - or be in a position to - when it’s hellish, murderous even?
That’s right: nothing. /7.
And if you don’t react when it’s ghastly, what makes you think you’ll bother - or be in a position to - when it’s hellish, murderous even?
That’s right: nothing. /7.
As we’ve discovered since this travesty started, a wider assault on citizenship rights in the UK is underway. Now against whole categories (notice a pattern here?) of British Citizens. /8.
The Home Secretary is to be given the power to remove British Citizenship without notice, & with only the flimsiest of grounds for such a draconian assault on fundamental rights, from - among others - every Jewish person in the UK. /9.
More precisely, every person the Home Secretary believes might be considered to be Jewish, in the sense of Israeli rules making them eligible for citizenship of that country. /10.
Also, every person potentially eligible for German citizenship, due to being descended from someone whose German citizenship was removed by the Nazis.
No echo of the Nuremberg Laws here.
Oh no. Of course not. /11.
No echo of the Nuremberg Laws here.
Oh no. Of course not. /11.
As widely reported, these radical powers are massively racially discriminatory against whole categories (oh, it really is a pattern) of Brits. For example of Caribbean, Asian & African descent. Because they’re disproportionately likely to be eligible for another citizenship. /12.
Extraordinarily - despite Windrush, for goodness sake! - apologists for all this say it’s fine.
Because the appalling, underlying law has been in place since 1981. /13.
Because the appalling, underlying law has been in place since 1981. /13.
“All” that’s happening is the requirements imposed on the Home Secretary before being able to invoke these provisions - requirements weakened over the last 40 years by successive governments - will now be diluted to the point of virtual meaninglessness. /14.
And the requirement to give prior notice, also, will be diluted to the point of non-existence.
The next step is pretty obvious, isn’t it?
No?
Sure it is.
Why stop at EU citizens?
Why stop at British Citizens who might be eligible for another citizenship? /15.
The next step is pretty obvious, isn’t it?
No?
Sure it is.
Why stop at EU citizens?
Why stop at British Citizens who might be eligible for another citizenship? /15.
Any British Citizen the Home Secretary disapproves of, or finds inconvenient, should have their citizenship removed. Even if it makes them stateless.
What’s the problem?
Who cares?
It’s only pesky international treaties which say we mustn’t make people stateless. /16.
What’s the problem?
Who cares?
It’s only pesky international treaties which say we mustn’t make people stateless. /16.
And we can break those in a limited & specific way whenever we like, can’t we?
That’s what the rule of law means.
Rule by law, as decided by the Leader.
An authority of unassailable legitimacy.
By virtue of directly representing & interpreting The People’s Will. /17.
That’s what the rule of law means.
Rule by law, as decided by the Leader.
An authority of unassailable legitimacy.
By virtue of directly representing & interpreting The People’s Will. /17.
Who needs constitutionally guaranteed rights, beyond the reach of any parliamentary majority or over-mighty executive?
Who needs the rule of law (not rule by law), & separation of powers? Who needs an independent judiciary? Who needs juries?
Who needs democratic elections? /18.
Who needs the rule of law (not rule by law), & separation of powers? Who needs an independent judiciary? Who needs juries?
Who needs democratic elections? /18.
First they came for …
We know all that.
Yet we sleep-walk into Hades.
Stand up for the EU citizens.
You’re next. /19. End
We know all that.
Yet we sleep-walk into Hades.
Stand up for the EU citizens.
You’re next. /19. End
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