DISENFRANCHISED



I am posting this poem again as I am in Brussels at the European Parliament preparing to present my petition tomorrow calling for the right to vote for all UK citizens, despite their country of residence or time away. If you follow my poetry blog you will know I did not have a vote in the Referendum that decided the UK should leave the European Union. This was despite the massive impact this decision has had and will have on my family life in Spain. Many campaigners have spent years fighting for the end of the 15 year rule which removes our right to vote in General Elections and referendums and my petition is one more attempt in this long campaign. If Brexit goes ahead and UK citizens become third country nationals in Spain or other member states, we lose our EU citizenship and along with it the right to vote in EU and local elections. We will end up with no right to vote anywhere. I hope tomorrow's hearing will get good support from the MEPs in the petitions committee and that they will act to do all they can to ensure all UK/EU citizens have the right to vote in national elections and referendums. 



DISENFRANCHISED


I am a second class citizen, one 
of millions, the disenfranchised in a 
plebiscite now deemed ‘the people’s will’.
Denied a vote the most affected, 
we with lives enriched by the despised,
demonised, ‘freedom to move’  
a right to be removed from the young,
born Europeans, now choked silent. 

Whoever could imagine progress ending,
a world where rights are threatened,
where on an arbitrary date we're
third country nationals, foreigners,
stripped not just of rights but identity.
Whoever thought our children could lose
the freedoms we enjoyed, whilst billionaire
Leavers buy their passports stamped hypocrisy.

Still I have no vote as our Governments
declare suffrage reversible not universal.
This from the country vocal in its pride,
taken as a template, admired worldwide
for its history of justice and democracy.
To our disgrace the people’s will was won on lies
abetted by those who gain from chaos
while we the people likewise, pay the price.



© 2018 Jacqueline Claire Knight.  All rights reserved. 

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