'˜Allow thousands of EU nationals to stay in Milton Keynes'

Lib Dem veteran Sam Crooks was appalled at the government’s decision to leave people in limbo for another two years.

On Wednesday evening he put forward an official motion to urge MK Council to seek reassurance for the city’s own large community of people from the EU.

“I’m involved because my wife Isa is French and our daughter Natacha is married to a Bulgarian,” said Sam.

“We have been married for 35 years and Natacha spent five years at university here.

“All our assumptions about how and where we would spend the next 10 or 15 years have been thrown into doubt.”

Sam (pictured) says his own worries are shared by the 13,770 people who have come from EU countries to live in MK.

Sam said: “The Prime Minister could have done so much to get the upcoming negotiation off the ground in a good atmosphere if she had simply said EU citizens currently here can stay.

“Instead we will be in limbo for another two years while the negotiations go on.”

City MPs Mark Lancaster and Iain Stewart voted to back the Prime Minister.

In a joint statement the MPs said: “We think it’s absolutely right that EU nationals should be able to stay in the UK, especially after the contribution they make to our local community.

“We are equally determined that UK nationals should be able to stay in the EU... The rights of both EU and UK nationals should be preserved. The PM has already offered the EU an option to settle this issue early.”

7,250 people from EU countries have settled in the north of Milton Keynes, the constituency of Mark Lancaster MP.

Around 6,500 people have come from European Union countries to live in MK South, the constituency of Iain Stewart MP.

The official form that EU nationals will have to fill in in order to stay here comprises of 85 pages. And it’s complex, says Sam Crooks.