Article 50

Again there has been no need and a few people have gone down the dual citizenship route but I only know of one couple. Those here (in France) before the residential right given by the EU needed a Carte Sejour which was straightforward to get - some Prefectures are now just giving the CS but others are still saying unnecessary.

I think the not guaranteeing the rights of people in another EU country or UK is a case of six of one. The EU are looking at a number of routes which could be taken for the citizens. It is UK which has instigated this whole mess so they should start offering things as a gesture of goodwill.

I have one friend who has just got her citizenship here in France. I understand that about 50% of applications are unsuccessful in our region. We are thinking about it, but adopting a wait and see policy. We hadn't done it before because we didn't need to. My son has lived in Spain for 25 years and has a Spanish wife and children. He has not applied before for the same reason as us but will do so now. You can't have dual nationality in Spain so he will have to give up being British. He is concerned that he would not be able to get a work permit as a non EU citizen.
Is it all a huge ongoing worry but I don't blame the EU for refusing to negotiate before Article 50 is triggered.
We have had a huge amount of concern and sympathy from our French friends.

Rigby I am so sorry if I misled you, I truly thought you were more astute than that.
apologies.

Anyone with a modicum of common sense or GSOH would realise that the comment and the meant it was not serious.

Can residents of EU countries apply for a permanent residency as a citizen of a non-EU country?

ie the right to remain and work there without giving up British citizenship for that of another country?

In France it is likely that people who have been in the country more than five years, living "in a regular fashion" (tax resident etc) should be able to stay. The problem for pensioners will be if they lose their reciprocal health cover. That would force many, if not most, people to leave. The declining value of the pound is also likely to mean that some people would have to return to the UK.

We've thought of applying for french citizenship, but are more likely to return to the UK if the worst came to the worst. I tend to push all this to the back of my mind, and husband moreso.
Especially now that M. lePen could become president, then the whole scenario is likely to change again from the french side. (She wants France out of the EU.)

That is something that perhaps they will be able to work out; we do have reciprocal health care (albeit only emergency) with quite a lot of other countries.

Sorry - I didn't mean that the UK is the worst option - it's all the upheaval, and houses in our part of France aren't selling. I wish now that we'd made the move a few years ago when we actually had an offer on our house.

I don't think houses are selling anywhere in areas favoured by "ex-pats" Tricia. the market was bad enough before the referendum vote.
I am cautiously hopeful that le Pen won't get in though. I get a very strong feeling from my French friends that they have looked at Brexit and Trump and had second thoughts. She is on 35% to Macron's 65% for the second round now.
Mind you I was wrong twice in 2016. ☹️

Same here Tricia

Holiday healthcare is different and does not cover planned treatment.

Until the referendum vote, it was enough for EU citizens to have indefinite leave to remain.
I am not at all exasperated by my daughters in law not becoming UK citizens in the twenty+ years they have been living here.

I have just listened to Tony Blair making a strong attack on brexit and asking people to reconsider and campaign against it.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38996179

I agree with everything he said but I wish he hadn't said it as his support is almost certain to be counter-productive. We are living in a time where politicians and public figures are cast as "goodies" or "baddies" by the populist press and TB is the archetypal pantomine villain.

He said it because someone had to, the leader has again vanished and he isn't going to rock Brexit, he has wanted it for many a year.

Which group of people take notice of Tony Blair? Liberals? Conservatives dont. Labour doesnt - corbynites or otherwise.

Horse, stable door, bolted

Naturally it was assumed the labour leader would have taken part in the Brexit campaign, but he refused to take part in tv debates and went on holiday .

Not back to the campaign again, aren't we meant to be moving on? The people have spoken, or so I am told. Tony Blair is apparently disputing the result. But then he was never keen on listening anyway. Think about the people who marched against the Iran war and were ignored.

Forgot the golden rule , don't mention the labour leader unless to praise him, Rsther difficult to praise such as he

As for the march against the war, far more stayed at home than marched,

trisher* yes, yes, yes, yes and yes.

As DH pointed out this morning, in 1997 the Blair Labour Government held a referendum on devolution in Wales; the result was in favour by 50.3% to 49.7%, with 11 Local Authority areas voting for and 11 LA areas voting against.

That was a good enough result for TB and his government to forge ahead with devolution for Wales.

Why is it so difficult for him to accept the result of the EU referendum? Exactly what part of Leave does he not understand?

I would have marched against the war in Iraq, annie,but I am not good at marching and, like DH, dislike crowds. I am sure many people were there in spirit and cheering the marchers on.

I was there and the numbers were vastly underreported. Apart from the huge long procession there were people hanging out of windows and shouting support from shops and offices. Even the police were helpful and cooperative. Add to this that it was part of a world wide movement and you realise how deaf Mr Blair really was. wearemany.com

I too was on the March, doesn't change things, more stayed home than marched .

Regarding the vote for devolution for Wales, obviously those in England are unaware there were compromises made.

I wasn't aware, but I just know the vote was very close and people I know voted against - but accepted the result without moaning (too much).

For me, Blair is British, he has the right to free speech, no one has to listen to him.