History of the Big EU Passport Campaign

Back in summer 2017, Jenny Wilson of Glasgow began the "Big EU Passport" Campaign.

Her old school friend lent a hand at an early stage. She now lives abroad and did not get a vote at all as she had been away for 15 years, however is a UK citizen and could easily have decided to return to the UK or to an EU country at some point in the future, yet had no vote on her future.

Jen then made contact with some of the fabulous EU Remain groups I have met at some meetings and marches this year. They were happy to sign. Here I am receiving the signatures in Perth from the Perth for EU group representative. The NE group in Newcastle and the Dumfries group also signed as did the European Movement in Scotland group who collected numerous signatures in Edinburgh.

And Jenny was very honoured to receive the signature of our longest serving MEP, David Martin and on the first anniversary of the announcement of the EU Referendum vote result announcement :

Around this time a second Big EU Passport was made by a group in the NE England - please see another page here to read about that passport which has joined our campaign !

And here are just some of the folk in a discussion group Jenny goes along to where we speak French who were all happy to sign the passport. Many (if not all) of these people have family and work connections with France :

Here is Catherine Stihler, MEP with Bill Rodger of the European Movement in Scotland with the Passport while at the International Conference of Europeanists at University of Glasgow. Thank you for signing and for your support Catherine ! 

Ref: (https://councilforeuropeanstudies.org/conferences/upcoming-conferences/11-meetings-and-conferences/269-24th-international-conference-of-europeanists-call-for-proposals)

We also have signatures from a number of other people including MPs, among them Patrick Grady, Chris Law and Gavin Newlands. Thanks all.

We are hoping to present the Big EU Passport to the All Party Committee of MPs who are looking into Brexit negotiations. We may also ask them to deliver it either to No.10 or the Brexit negotiating team.  A first step was to contact my local MP Jo Swinson, who came along to our French speaking group (at Garvies, Milngavie) to hear our concerns and to find out why we value our EU Citizenship: