1066 EM Branch

The 1066 branch of the European Movement was set up to give people living in the Bexhill/Battle and Hastings/Rye constituencies - of all political persuasions - the chance to meet together at a local level to discuss the UK's relationship with the European Union and better understand the situation in which the UK finds itself.

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For information about the movement's aims and objectives please visit the national site

The European Movement UK

To contact the local branch, write to [email protected]

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On this site, we have made available Articles, Reports and other Factual Information, such as:

We hope you will navigate the site and be interested in our activity

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To become a Member of the 1066 branch of the European Movement UK, it is first necessary to join the National Branch - stating your postcode - which will automatically add you to our database (provided you live in either the Bexhill and Battle or Hastings and Rye Constituency).

Click on the button below to join the European Movement. Membership bands from £3 per month

From the blog

The Brexit Deal - A Report Card

The Brexit Deal: A Report Card (as supplied by European Movement UK)
We will take back control		What have we gained ?	What have we retained ?	… or only in part?	What have we lost ?	What will it cost?
We will take back control		What have we gained ?	What have we retained ?	… or only in part?	What have we lost ?	What will it cost?
... of our laws	Between 2004 and 2015 successive UK Prime Ministers as members of the Council of Ministers, voted in favour of 92% of all EU laws	The ability to negotiate our own trade agreements	Zero tariffs and quotas for goods that comply with rules of origin	A limited level of market access that allows continued and sustainable air, road, rail and maritime connectivity	Frictionless trade	Long term 4% decline in GDP (£86 bn p.a.) see note 1
		The ability to negotiate our own trade agreements			Visa free travel beyond 90 days	Long term 4% decline in GDP (£86 bn p.a.) see note 1
		A phased 25% reduction in the value of fish caught by the EU in UK waters			Visa free travel beyond 90 days	200 mio new customs declarations needing 50,000 more HMRC customs officers
			A level playing field that maintains high levels of protection for environmental standards, the fight against climate change and carbon pricing, social and labour rights (see note 2 below)		Freedom to work in the EU
				A revised model for the trading and connectivity of energy with guarantees for open and fair competition and security of supply	Freedom to live in the EU
					Freedom to study in the EU	Additional £7bio cost burden on businesses
… of our money	Our net contributions (approx £9bn p.a) to the EU budget were worth < 0.5% of GDP. See "What will it cost" and note 1 below				Zero roaming charges	Additional £7bio cost burden on businesses
					Pet Passports	Border down the Irish sea. Northern Ireland still in the Single Market
					Financial Passporting
				Limited and non-privileged access to police and security databases	EU wide Recognition of professional qualifications
					EU wide Recognition of professional qualifications	Higher food prices
					Farming Subsidies	Lower Foreign Direct Investment
… of our borders	Under EU Directive 2004/38/EC the UK always had control of its borders within the EU. Successive governments chose not to implement this directive			Limited arrangements for exchange of Passenger Name, DNA, Fingerprint and Vehicle Registration records	EHIC Cards (See Note 3)	Lower Foreign Direct Investment
					Erasmus Student Exchange	A weaker pound sterling
					Access to Galileo (Global Satellite Navigation System	VAT and Excise duties payable on imported alcohol and tobacco products
					Access to Galileo (Global Satellite Navigation System
				Subject to financial contributions, access to Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programmes	Participation and influence in the agencies that provide for the safety of food, medicines, chemicals and aviation.

						and what Brexit has cost so far - £200billion
						and what Brexit has cost so far - £200billion
	QED: We were always in control			Subject to financial contributions, access to Euratom Research and Training programmes
	QED: We were always in control				Most Important: We have no trade deal for Services - 80% of the UK economy


				A reduced level of access to the EU Procurement market
				A reduced level of access to the EU Procurement market

So was it worth it to gain so little and lose so much to take back control that we had never lost? Boris Johnson and his government chose this. They own it. They will be held to account.

Note 1: The Office for Budget Responsibility have forecast that over the long term (15 years?) Brexit with a trade deal will cost a 4% decline in GDP. That would be equivalent to £86bn of 2019 GDP of £2.17 trillion.
Note 2: Measures to safeguard the level playing field will be difficult to enforce and there is considerable scope for the UK to deviate/diverge in the future … but with consequences.
Note 3: EHIC cards are valid until their expiry date. The government plans to replace with these with a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) at some point in the future.

Thoughts on 'sovereignty'!

This letter was published in the Kent & Sussex Courier and in the Bexhill & Battle Observer on Friday December 18, 2020 in a personal capacity:

Dear Editor

‘Sovereignty’ has been much in the news recently, I hope that you will let me to share some thoughts about what it means in Britain today.

It means being part of an international agreement forcing us to go to war when an ally feels threatened, regardless of the perceived enemy.
It means being unable to tax major international companies fairly for fear of upsetting a trading partner.
It means having nearly all essential services in the control of foreign owned companies.
It involves a system where influential people, both foreigners and tax exiles, can pay large amounts to money to play tennis with the Prime Minister so he knows what laws he can, and cannot, pass.
It means having to deploy gunboats to ‘protect’ fish from the unwanted attentions of a close ally.
It means having print media, social media, and increasingly published media owned and controlled by foreigners with their own agendas.
It has essential energy supply in the hands of a hostile state.
It involves having our lives increasingly controlled by algorithms over which we have little knowledge and no control.

In a highly connected global world where the things that people of all backgrounds have in common massively outweigh their differences, ‘sovereignty’ seems a very silly idea. But as Christmas approaches, may I wish all your readers peace and goodwill to all, including your libertarian correspondents who won’t recognise either concept.

Regards,

Steve Barrass

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From the blog

The Brexit Deal - A Report Card

Thoughts on 'sovereignty'!

Contact

Contact 1066