The mayor of London, has asked EU negotiators during a visit to Brussels to offer free movement for Britons through “associate citizenship”, as the “next best thing” to membership. With the backing of the former prime minister of Belgium, Sadiq Khan called for the idea to be at the “the heart” of the negotiations over the future relationship. He said that rejoining the EU was not foreseeable in the “short to medium term” but that associate citizenship of the bloc could be one way to “make the best of Brexit”.
The offer would include continued freedom of movement and residence around the bloc for those who wished to retain such rights. Such a status would also protect rights in healthcare, welfare and workplace conditions and likely the right to vote in European parliament elections.
Khan said, “There’s an opportunity for us to move forward with this and I’ve been pleased with the response and it gives hope to London, as well as across our country.”
The chances of such an initiative making headway in the negotiations are extremely limited as it would be unlawful under EU legislation.
There is unlikely to be appetite for any rewriting of treaties among the 27 member states, given the UK government’s hostile attitude to the free movement of EU nationals who wish to live and work in Britain.
