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Lecture by Dr Colin Swatridge: "Brexit - A Dog's Dinner" - 22 October at 11:30 am

Dr Swatridge is a regular visitor and lecturer of the Department of English and a guest of Krosno State College as well as a lecturer of Miskolc and Eszterhazy Karoli universities in Hungary and Petru Maior University in Romania.

The lecture will deal with Brexit negotiations, which have been going on for two years and more between the British government and EU representatives – a ‘deal’ seems to be no closer than when the referendum was held in June 2016. Indeed, ‘no deal’ is looking increasingly likely. Attention shall be paid to the situation for EU citizens in the UK as from 29 March 2019 (‘B’-Day). Their status in a UK that will not recognize the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice is a matter of some anxiety to the 27, as well as – of course – to those EU citizens who work or study in the UK, and who may wish to stay.

The status of EU citizens apart, the other big issues are: how much the UK will owe to the EU budget following our exit; and the survival of free movement across the invisible border between Northern Ireland and the republic. On none of the three issues is there, as yet, a meeting of minds.