We are Oxford for Europe – a group of volunteers working to help Oxford remain the welcoming and vibrant international centre that it has always been.
While our activity is mainly in Oxford, we support activities across Oxfordshire and the UK in co-operation with numerous other formal and informal pro-EU organisations. We are affiliated to the European Movement UK, and work closely with Grassroots for Europe, March for Change, Best for Britain and many others.
Brexit has happened, but that only increases the need to promote pro-EU voices, to make EU citizens welcome, to share news from the EU and to encourage more people to get involved in building a pro-European city, county and country. With the country facing unprecedented difficulties as a result of the pandemic, we need to ensure that we do not lose sight of the need to cooperate across borders, and to mitigate the increasingly obvious damage since 1 January 2021
If you want to join us, click the link above.
For the latest news from the EU, download the EU Citizens App from the Google or Apple store.
For our newsletters see here. You can find us on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
News from Oxford For Europe – Here
Terry Reintke in Oxford
We recently had a visit from German Green MEP, Terry Reintke. Watch the video here. (Thanks to Mike Cashman)
European Convention on Human Rights
The UK was a founder member and is a leading participant. All European countries except Belarus and now Russia are members. Don’t let this government tell you than following Russia out is asserting independence from a foreign court.
Sign the petitions:
https://humanrights.brightblue.org.uk/petition
https://secure.unlockdemocracy.org.uk/page/106219/petition/1?locale=en-GB
This government must not tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol
Proposed new legislation seems to break international law. The government is refusing to publish the legal advice justifying its decision. Don’t let them get away with it. Sign this petition:
https://secure.unlockdemocracy.org.uk/page/108024/petition/1?locale=en-GB
Ukraine – make your voice heard
Against the background of recent terrible events in Ukraine, many of our supporters joined the protests organised by the Oxford University Ukrainian Society at the Radcliffe Camera, Oxford (details here). Join us if you can. Click here for for the OUUS Facebook Page.
Here is some info from the Ukrainian Institute about how you can help. And the Disasters Emergency Committee has set up a page for donations.
A Word From Will Hutton
At one of our recent events our Supporter,
Will Hutton, struck an optimistic note
about the future of our cause
Latest blog from the Chair: In Truss We Trust? (24 July 2022)
Is there still such a thing as a local election? (9 May 2022)
Brexit Opportunities Abound (13 February 2022)
Time To Go, Big Dog (16 January 2022)
The Night before Christmas – A Year On (24 December 2021)
Owen Paterson’s Enduring Gift to the Nation (19 December 2021)
Blah Blah Blah (17 November 2021)
Tory Sleaze is back (4 November)
Build Back Beaver (9 October)
We need to talk about TIGRR (20 Sept 21)
Enduring Freedom? (30 August 2021)
Playing Football With Our Freedoms (12 July 2021)
A Faux Pas Too Far (20 March 2022)
Are you still here, BJ? (20 April 2022)
Echoes Of Empire? (5 June 2022)
A Big Dog Wounded Beyond Repair (11 June 2022)
From That Dark Day To the Present (23 June 2022)
Has Devon Dealt A Deadly Blow? (26 June 2022)
Leave Means Leave (7 July 2022)
Our Most Recent Meeting:
Post-Brexit Britain – Failure And Fragmentation
Alexandra Hall Hall and Richard Haviland
Thursday 24th February 2022
Our Previous Meeting was on Wednesday 19th January 2022
‘A Painful Transition’
with Neale Richmond TD and Susanne Oberhauser
Our Previous Meetings
How is Brexit Damaging Oxford?
Our friends at The Oxford European Association organised an event at the Town Hall with the support of Oxford for Europe to answer this question. The key speaker was Andrew Adonis, Chair of the European Movement, together with local speakers from the business and academic communities on Thursday, 28th October
AC Grayling on 18th August
The UK in Europe – New Perspectives
Thursday 15th July 2021
With Annette Dittert and Alex Andreou
Other Previous Events:
We have had numerous virtual meetings, featuring speakers as diverse as Lord Andrew Adonis, Layla Moran MP, Ian Dunt, Terry Reintke, Richard Corbett, Tony Connelly, Jonathan Lis, Chris Grey, Jessica Simor, Peter Jukes, Peter Geoghegan, Philippa Whitford, Dominic Grieve and Michael Dougan.
Previous face-to-face meetings have been addressed by Rachel Clarke, Gavin Esler, Prof Timothy Garten Ash, Prof Sarah Harper, Catherine Bearder MEP, Naomi Smith, Peter Dukes, Jon Danzig, Will Hutton, Layla Moran and Mike Galsworthy
Democracy in Danger
OfE is deeply concerned about the many threats to our democracy now going through Parliament, including the Elections Bill, the Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill, the Nationality and Borders Bill and the Judicial Review and Courts Bill. These are being pushed through with very little publicity and our public representatives need to be reminded that democracy still matters. Open Democracy is campaigning on these issues. See here for further details. If you want to email your MP on the Police Bill, here is a link.
My Personal Journey while the UK left the European Union
The perspective of one of our members, Annette Shaw
Defend The Right To Protest Peacefully
The government has tabled new legislation, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which will seriously restrict our right to protest peacefully. This is still going through Parliament and action needs to be taken now to oppose it. See here for details.
And see here for an article by Oxford For Europe’s Lizzy Price and Peter Burke.
Good Law Project
We are supporting the work of Jolyon Maugham QC and his team in holding this Government to account. Details here.
European Movement Council Election
We are affiliated to a national body, the European Movement. A new council has been elected, including chair of OfE, Peter Burke. See here for details.
Read the latest from Chris Grey
Chris Grey is a distinguished blogger who has spoken to Oxford for Europe. You can read his brilliant weekly blog here:
For further information and to watch the video of his talk to us, click here:
Blue Passports and Narrowed Horizons
A Musician’s Perspective. Click here
Erasmus
We should campaign to preserve the right of students in UK and EU to visit other countries. See here
Letter to Labour about the emerging catastrophe of Brexit: act now!
Click here
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West of England Bylines
We work closely with the online publication, West Of England Bylines. You can read it here
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A Mind To Extend?
A commentary from Colin Gordon
Roads to Re-Entry
A 3-part commentary by Colin Gordon
(Published in NE Bylines)
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Labour’s Position on the Trade Deal: An Open Letter
A letter to Labour from one of our supporters – read it here
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Socially-distanced event to support UNITE’s #GetADeal call to save BMW jobs at Cowley
This was held on Thursday October 8th 2020 outside the BMW works car. See report here and in the Oxford Mail
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A Pariah State – us?
UK Government proposing to renege on EU Withdrawal Agreement and become a Pariah State: An Open Letter from the Chair
And an Open Letter to the Prime Minister
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The Russia Report
This eventually came out after a totally avoidable delay of 9 months. The Government’s attempts to say ‘nothing to see here’ are transparent and are part of a gaslighting campaign which must never succeed.
The report makes it clear that Russian interference in the UK democratic process is the ‘new normal’, and calls clearly for an investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 Referendum. Even though it finds no evidence of such a role, it roundly castigates successive Tory Governments for failing to seek one. It leaves open the question of whether the reason for this gross neglect was malice, incompetence, or both. We in Oxford For Europe, together with our sister organisations, call for urgent action so that such abuses can never happen again and so that those responsible can be held to account.
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CBI calls for a no-deal Brexit to be avoided
On 18th October 2020 a joint statement was issued by the CBI and 71 trade bodies, covering the whole of British industry and agriculture, and stating that a no deal Brexit would severely damage all sectors of the economy and must be avoided. Details here.
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Peter Geoghegan’s book is available from Blackwells: click here. More details here.
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Messages from Oxford For Europe’s Media Team:
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Faces of Europe.
This is an initiative aimed at EU nationals living in the Region. Full details of the idea and how to become involved can be found at https://emoxfordregion.org/faces-of-europe-2/ . And the email address to write to is euromoveoxon@gmail.com .
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Cummings, Brexit and Russia
Colin Gordon, of Oxford For Europe, has written in some detail about Cummings and Russia. Follow this link.
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Select Committees
Colin Gordon writes about the continuing role of Parliamentary Select Committees: here.
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Petitions
Prevent Boris Johnson from having a Resignation Honours List: https://www.change.org/p/prevent-boris-johnson-from-having-a-resignation-honours-list?recruiter=false&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=b72148d0-0475-11ed-9f0d-41b9eacb91d6&share_bandit_exp=initial-33935568-en-GB
Protect the right to Judicial Review (38 Degrees)
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-legal-safeguards-3
European Movement petition: Let’s move on from Frost: click here to sign.
Stop the assaults on our democratic freedoms https://www.bestforbritain.org/saveourdemocracy
Call for a public enquiry into the government’s handling of Coronavirus: https://www.marchforchange.uk/coronavirus_inquiry
Seek Europe-wide Visa-free work permit for Touring professionals and Artists:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/563294
Oppose the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
https://www.marchforchange.uk/defend_democracy
We still need Erasmus
https://www.europeanmovement.co.uk/save_etwinning?utm_campaign=etwinning_members&utm_medium=email&utm_source=euromove
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Our Privacy Policy
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Donations
If you wish to donate please