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"European Movement UK welcomes the new government under Sir Keir Starmer," said CEO, Sir Nick Harvey, "and congratulates the newly elected MPs, alongside those who have retained their seats."

"We now look forward with the hope that the new government," he continued, "and the influx of pro-European MPs from across all parties, will seize the opportunity to put an end to the divisive politics of the past decade, which has left families poorer, public services in pieces, and the UK's reputation and influence severely diminished globally."

"The next parliament faces serious challenges, but also a unique opportunity, to rebuild the economy, breathe life back into the NHS, and ensure the UK plays its part on the world's stage.

"Finding solutions to many of those problems will involve serious assessments of our future relationship with the European Union, and facing the damage that a hard Brexit continues to wreak on us all. We cannot rebuild the UK without rebuilding our relationship with the EU.

"We must grasp this opportunity for a new dawn for the UK's relationship with Europe, and European Movement UK will not hold back in helping to hold the new government to account. With swathes of new MPs, and a completely new complexion in Parliament, we're finally in much better territory to build energetic and sustained support for our European future."

(Header image: Shutterstock)

Chair of European Movement UK, Dr Mike Galsworthy, debates the Brexit "experiment" on Times Radio.

Watch here.

[Image: Shutterstock]

European Movement UK has unveiled a new online tool to help voters understand their local candidates' positions on European issues ahead of the general election on 4th July.

The "Manifesto on Europe Postcode Lookup" allows users to enter their postcode and view responses from candidates in their constituency regarding their stance on our Manifesto on Europe and of dealing with the impact of Brexit.

The tool aims to make Brexit and UK-EU relations a key election issue and European Movement supporters are putting Europe on the election agenda by contacting candidates to seek their commitment to action on rebuilding the UK's relationship with Europe.

Want to know what your candidates are saying on Europe? Use the postcode checker here.

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EM local group, Stratford4Europe, organised two days of campaigning for Face The Music - a street stall and a concert - after applying for and receiving a grant from European Movement UK.

Beginning with a street stall on May 25th, the group organised a performance from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on Thursday, May 30th, at the Holy Trinity Parish Centre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Following their performance, the musicians gave personal testimony to their own feelings about the campaign and gave an encore of the European Union’s national anthem to end of the evening.

The packed-out 150 capacity hall concert was full of support for the Face the Music campaign, with some of the audience even writing letters of support in the local paper.

This event takes place after European Movement activists took action across the UK in places like Swansea, Lambeth, Edinburgh, and Swindon, for our Face The Music Action Weekend in March, and the timing of this event is also very important. 

European Movement UK has been campaigning for months for urgent action to be taken on behalf of musicians, whose ability to perform or work in Europe has been crippled by post-Brexit bureaucracy. Speaking to the FT this week, Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has promised that a Labour government would seek "improved touring rights for UK artists".

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Vice President of European Movement UK, Dominic Grieve KC, explains why ‘It’s time to break this election’s conspiracy of silence over Brexit’.

Read here.

[Image: Shutterstock]

As the UK gears up for the upcoming general election on 4th July, European Movement UK is urging voters to demand clarity from political candidates on their stance regarding the UK's relationship with the European Union.

Brexit, one of the most contentious issues of our time, continues to cast a long shadow over our country's future, impacting crucial areas such as economic growth, climate change, defence, immigration, and staffing in the NHS.

European Movement UK has launched a tool that enables voters to easily identify their local candidates and send them a message, requesting their commitment to the pledges outlined in The Manifesto on Europe. The goal is to ensure that all 4,515 candidates standing across the UK hear from European Movement members and supporters, underscoring the public's unwavering concern and interest in the issues caused by Brexit.

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Chair of European Movement UK, Dr Mike Galsworthy, tells Jeremy Vine that the Brexit "experiment" has failed.

Listen here.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Moderate pro-EU parties have won around two-thirds of the seats in the European Parliament, according to provisional results.

The far-right has made gains and this is causing justified concern. But the two far-right groups will have less than a fifth of the seats. And far-right MEPs have a long record of grandstanding and squabbling instead of putting in hard work to represent voters. Extremists have been present in the Parliament for many decades. They have never driven its agenda and they won't now.

The European Parliament matters. It will continue to perform effectively its crucial work of amending and passing EU laws, in agreement with national Ministers sitting in the Council.

Before the new Parliament gets down to its day-to-day legislative work, it must approve the appointment of the European Commission President for the next five years, by an overall majority of at least 361 MEPs out of 720.

After that, the Parliament will hold tough hearings with each nominee Commissioner. Then the new Commission, as a whole, will need endorsement in a parliamentary vote before it can take office. This is European democracy in action.

Everyone in the UK will still be affected by the European Parliament’s decisions, on the economy, trade, climate change and more. But we no longer have a voice. Brexit unseated our MEPs and disenfranchised UK voters, as well as hobbling our economy.

In France, Italy, Germany and elsewhere, even far-right parties no longer dare say they want their countries to leave the EU. Because they know voters have seen the mess made by Brexit.

The antics of Nigel Farage’s UKIP were embarrassing. But many other former UK MEPs were renowned both for promoting British and European values and for mastering detail. So losing them also weakened the European Parliament and the EU.

European Movement UK aims to put the UK back at the centre of Europe, with UK MEPs in the European Parliament, a UK Commissioner and UK Ministers around the Council table. That will take time - but it will happen.

Meanwhile, we will have a new government in a few weeks. In line with our Manifesto on Europe, European Movement UK will be calling on it to build bridges rapidly with the rest of Europe, including with the newly-elected European Parliament.