London mayor calls for Londoners to be allowed to keep EU citizenship

Mr Khan will meet with senior EU figures today

The Mayor of London is calling on the government to allow people to retain a form of EU citizenship, if they choose to.

Sadiq Khan is meeting senior European Union figures in Brussels today to discuss the option for Brits to keep hold of benefits such as freedom to move and work in other countries.

Some representatives from the bloc have suggested they’re open to the idea.

Mr Khan wants ‘Associate Citizenship’ to form part of negotiations about the UK’s future relationship with EU.

In Greater London, 59.9% people voted to remain in the 2016 referendum. But Havering and Barking and Dagenham were among just five London boroughs where the majority of voters wanted to leave.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Like so many Londoners, I am heartbroken that we are no longer a member of the European Union, but that doesn’t mean our country’s future can’t be closely linked with the rest of Europe.

“The Prime Minister says his job is to bring the country together and move us forward and I cannot think of a better way of reconciling the differences between British voters who wanted to leave, and the millions of Londoners and British nationals who still feel and want to be European.

“There would be support from millions of Londoners and British nationals who are devastated they are losing their rights as EU Citizens. As the UK and EU start their next phase of negotiations, I want this issue of associate citizenship to be at the heart of talks about our future relationship.”

The idea of ‘Associate Citizenship’ of the EU has been championed by Guy Verhofstadt MEP, who was until recently chair of the European parliament’s Brexit steering group. The new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has also said the EU is open to exploring the idea as part of wider negotiations with the UK.

‘Associate Citizenship’ would give those British nationals who wanted it a way to keep many of the same rights they have enjoyed up until now as EU citizens, including the right to move and work freely between different EU member states.

Guy Verhofstadt MEP said: “The Maastricht Treaty created the concept of ‘European Citizenship’ and I am in favour of using this now as a basis for people who want to keep their link with Europe.

“It is the first time in the history of our union that a member state leaves, but it is not because the UK government wanted exit that individual citizens have to lose their connection with the continent.”