«As part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement signed in January 2020, the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) was set up to allow European nationals residing in Britain to apply to stay here permanently. The deal was: we don’t disrupt the lives of people here - and they don’t disrupt the lives of Brits abroad.»
The deal was negotiated overall, not single-area by single area as implied here, and like all international agreements getting concessions in one area can well be won by giving concessions in another area.
Overall the Conservatives governments from 2016 to 2021 assured us that the UK had all the cards and would easily get a super-advantageous deal as the cowardly and weak continentals would fold. Here is Theresa May telling the EU confidently how much more leverage the UK had than them:
The Times, January 18 2017, front page: "May to EU: give us fair deal or you'll be crushed".
Many brexiters pointed out that not only UK leverage would result in an easy victory over the EU but the UK deserved it as reparations for decades of fiscal exploitation by the EU and of colonialism by the European Court of Justice.
Because the EU had many more workers in the UK than the UK in the EU dangling concessions on settled status gave the Conservative negotiators a lot of leverage to get a lopsided deal in other areas.
Boris Johnson later triumphantly announced that thanks to UK power and the ruthless negotiations of Conservative ministers the final agreement was a great deal for the UK.
So what if some concessions on settled status were part of an overall no-hold-barred strategy that delivered a great and enduring victory for the UK over the EU, it seems that attacking the Conservatives and Brexiters for using them as leverage seems quite unfair for me.
Brilliant piece of research! Once again showing how the British taxpayer has become a soft touch for scams orchestrated from abroad. We know the European Commission is pushing hard on the UK Govt to allow EU Nationals the ‘home fees status’ (costing the sector £500 million a year in lost revenue), which no doubt also means access to the student loan book. If that is being agreed, the key conditionality should be that these member states underwrite the debts of their own nationals who abscond from the UK with no intention of paying. Then just watch as their demands fall away.
Well done again, Neil. This is absolutely shocking. I taught at a college doing business HNDs a few years ago and almost all students were from overseas, with a lot from Romania. The students were nice people, but not exceptionally bright or committed as a rule (as ever, there were exceptions). It's amazing that similar students are still being funded.
Fabulous piece of evidence based research, which reinforces that our nation is truly run by idiots. Trump would ban Romanians from applying for student loans and ban flights to and from Romania if they complained. Job done
«As part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement signed in January 2020, the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) was set up to allow European nationals residing in Britain to apply to stay here permanently. The deal was: we don’t disrupt the lives of people here - and they don’t disrupt the lives of Brits abroad.»
The deal was negotiated overall, not single-area by single area as implied here, and like all international agreements getting concessions in one area can well be won by giving concessions in another area.
Overall the Conservatives governments from 2016 to 2021 assured us that the UK had all the cards and would easily get a super-advantageous deal as the cowardly and weak continentals would fold. Here is Theresa May telling the EU confidently how much more leverage the UK had than them:
https://blissex.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/poliukleavetimescrushtheeu-170118.jpg
The Times, January 18 2017, front page: "May to EU: give us fair deal or you'll be crushed".
Many brexiters pointed out that not only UK leverage would result in an easy victory over the EU but the UK deserved it as reparations for decades of fiscal exploitation by the EU and of colonialism by the European Court of Justice.
Because the EU had many more workers in the UK than the UK in the EU dangling concessions on settled status gave the Conservative negotiators a lot of leverage to get a lopsided deal in other areas.
Boris Johnson later triumphantly announced that thanks to UK power and the ruthless negotiations of Conservative ministers the final agreement was a great deal for the UK.
So what if some concessions on settled status were part of an overall no-hold-barred strategy that delivered a great and enduring victory for the UK over the EU, it seems that attacking the Conservatives and Brexiters for using them as leverage seems quite unfair for me.
Brilliant piece of research! Once again showing how the British taxpayer has become a soft touch for scams orchestrated from abroad. We know the European Commission is pushing hard on the UK Govt to allow EU Nationals the ‘home fees status’ (costing the sector £500 million a year in lost revenue), which no doubt also means access to the student loan book. If that is being agreed, the key conditionality should be that these member states underwrite the debts of their own nationals who abscond from the UK with no intention of paying. Then just watch as their demands fall away.
Is there any clear reason why non-EU citizens can get settled status? Or is it still an open question? This seems quite strange.
Its very odd - still trying to get an answer
Well done again, Neil. This is absolutely shocking. I taught at a college doing business HNDs a few years ago and almost all students were from overseas, with a lot from Romania. The students were nice people, but not exceptionally bright or committed as a rule (as ever, there were exceptions). It's amazing that similar students are still being funded.
An extraordinary piece of research – thank you!
Fabulous piece of evidence based research, which reinforces that our nation is truly run by idiots. Trump would ban Romanians from applying for student loans and ban flights to and from Romania if they complained. Job done
I wonder how FSA would view any bank carrying a loan book like this?
Is there an actual end date to the underlying settled status scheme - 5 plus years is as you say far more than just missing the deadline.