An international panel of experts came together for the third in our Reflections on the Future of Europe series last week - one of the issues they discussed was "Who is to blame for the 2019 vote denied scandal?"
You can watch the webinar on the link below - please click the SUBSCRIBE Button to see further videos in the series in the future.
The circumstances that led to 1.7m EU citizens being denied the right to vote in the 2019 European elections are complex and involve many different levels of decision-making.
We always thought if was going to be difficult to win a legal challenge and in fact the case brought by 5 EU citizens and the3million group has been dismissed by the High Court. Many thanks to them for trying.
For New Europeans, the key issues at stake are why, despite our warnings, Select Committee appearance, meetings with the Cabinet Office and Electoral Commission after the 2014 election did the Government fail to take action to make it easier for EU citizens to vote?
We also want to know why the Government ignored warnings made by the MPs that we had mobilised through an Early Day Motion, parliamentary questions, debates and other means in 2019.
Only a public inquiry that can examine the role of the Government, the Electoral Commission, individual Electoral Registration officers and the European Commission can get to the bottom of what went wrong in 2019 and make sure no such mass disenfranchisement happens again.
We know that the rights of EU citizens to stand and vote in local and regional elections in the UK are still in the balance, and we also know that British citizens abroad have still not seen the promised cancellation of the 15 year rule which bars them from voting.
So please continue to support our campaign for a public inquiry into #DeniedMyVote with you donations and by joining as a member.
Donate here
Without a vote, EU citizens and Britons abroad are without a voice.
We are counting on your support to make sure we never again have our vote denied.
With thanks and best regards
ROGER CASALE
New Europeans