johncons

Stikkord: ‘European citizen’

  • Her er en ny e-post til Liverpool City Council, om uttrykket ‘European citizen’







    Google Mail – FW: Electoral register







    Google Mail



    Erik Ribsskog

    <eribsskog@gmail.com>




    FW: Electoral register





    Erik Ribsskog

    <eribsskog@gmail.com>





    Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 12:27 PM





    To:

    "Barker, Stephen" <Stephen.Barker@liverpool.gov.uk>



    Hi,

    thank you very much for your answer!
    I would like to point out again, that it isn't clear, that it's EU-citizens who are eligable to vote, since you use
    the term 'European citizens', and not 'EU-citizen'.

    So I got tricked by this, right after I moved in, to a new flat.
    Because it also is a threat there, that says that I have to pay £1000 if I don't send the form, in the post.
    So then I thought, that I didn't want to get a fine, for £1000, so then I sent the form in the post.

    And on the airport, you also write 'European citizen', which I, as a Norwegian citizen, think is a confusing term.
    On the airport, there isn't even any small printing.

    One walks for about 20 more yards, and there's a new sign saying 'EU citizens', but then it's to late to turn, because
    all the other people on the flight, are from the UK, so it's packed with people, so you can't turn, and walk back, in the

    other queue.
    So I at least, has found this term 'European citizen' used for 'EU citizen', confusing.
    But anyway, I guess this is not such a big deal, It perhaps because we in Norway, learn that we are in Europe.

    Since we don't only think of continental Europe, as Europe, we also include Iceland, Scandinavia and the British Isles etc.,
    in Europe, when we learn about this at school, perhaps this varies from country to country, I can't really know this for sure.

    You say that companies are using the electoral register, to find out, if people can get loans.
    But then I think, that the UK Government, must be selling this register.
    I think this practice, can be not in line with the EEA, since it discriminates EFTA-citizens, from Norway, Iceland,

    Switzerland and Lichtenstein, if the UK Government, sells this register, to companies, that give loans, etc.
    This is just how I think it is.
    But like I wrote, I have had some problems with the communication etc., with the Norwegian embassy, in London,

    so I have to think more about, how to deal with this.
    I've sent an e-mail, to the Norwegian ministry of trade, since I'm in contact with them, about some other cases,
    to do with the EEA, and I'm sending a complaint, on the Merseyside Police, the Home Office, etc., to the

    EU-commission, for breaches, I think it's called, on the EEA-agreement, so perhaps I add about the electoral
    register as well, while I'm at it, writing complaints to the EU-commission.

    We'll see.

    Thanks again for taking the time to send an answer about this!
    Yours sincerely,
    Erik Ribsskog

    On Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 12:13 PM, Barker, Stephen <Stephen.Barker@liverpool.gov.uk> wrote:

    Hello

    I apologise if this has caused you any confusion, but

    as you state, it is clear on the registration form and on the accompanying

    leaflet that it is European Union citizens who are eligible to

    register.

    With regard to getting a loan etc, we use the electoral

    register for one purpose only and that is to ensure that anyone who is eligible

    to vote has the right to do so. It is credit companies that use it for

    credit checks and there is nothing that we can do to stop them using it for this

    purpose.

    I trust this answers your query, however if I can be of

    any further assistance then please do not hesitate to contact

    me.

    Regards

    Stephen

    Barker

    Asst. Elections

    Manager

    Electoral Services

    Unit

    Tel: 0151 225

    3519

    Fax:

    0151-225-2365

    E-mail:

    stephen.barker
    @liverpool.gov.uk




    From: Erik Ribsskog

    [mailto:eribsskog@gmail.com]
    Sent: 12 August 2009 00:01
    To: Electoral Services

    Subject: Electoral

    register

    Hi,

    today, I got the form, to register, on the electoral

    register, for the third time, I think it is.


    On the front-page, of the form, it says 'European

    [..] citizen'.

    But then, it means EU-citizen, as I've been explained

    earlier.


    But, I'm from Norway, and Norway are in Europe, on the map, at least the last time I

    checked.


    Why do you use the term 'European citizen', when you

    don't mean eg. Norway or

    Switzerland, who are also in

    Europe.

    Iceland

    and Lichtenstein, are also in Europe, the are European countries, at least we

    learned this at school in Norway,

    that Europe was one of

    the 'verdensdeler', 'world-parts' or

    continents.

    So why do you say European citizen instead of

    EU-citizen, because I think that can be a bit disrespectful, towards

    the

    EFTA-countries, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein,

    who aren't in the EU.

    Another thing I was wondering about, is that if people

    apply for a loan, i the UK, they have to be in the electoral

    register,

    as far as I

    understand.


    But, Norwegians aren't allowed to be in the

    electoral register, since we aren't in the

    EU.


    But, there is an agreement between the EFTA

    countries (including Norway),

    and the UK, called the

    EEA-agreement,

    that says that Norwegians should have the same rights,

    as EU-citizens, in the EU.

    But I don't think Norwegians get the same rights, to

    have a loan, since we can't be in the electoral

    register.

    I think, to get a loan, is part of what the

    EEA-agreement, is meant to cover, the four freedoms and all that, free

    movement

    of people, but then the Norwegians should be allowed to

    get a loan.


    I understand that Norwegians aren't allowed to vote,

    since Norway aren't in the

    EU.


    But, I think, that according to the EEA, that

    Norwegians should be allowed to get a loan, but this electoral

    register,

    it means, that we can't get a loan, since we aren't

    allowed to be in the electoral register.


    So this I don't think is in line with the

    EEA-agreement.


    Normally, I would have sent this, to the Norwegian

    embassy, but they, don't answer my corresponence, even

    if

    an ombudsman, in Norway,

    Sivilombusmannen, has told them to do so, but the embassy refuse, for more than

    a

    year now, to answer my correspondence, even if can't

    understand why they do this.


    I even went with the train, to London, with some files,

    (to do with an employment-case, involving many Nordic

    citizens),

    to deliver them in person, instead of sending them in

    the post, and still the treat me like this.


    I don't think this is easy to

    understand.


    But anyway.


    Sorry that I wrote a lot about the EEA-agreement

    etc., but I hope you have the oppertunity, to explain why it

    says

    'European citizen', and not 'EU-citizen', on this form,

    an on the John Lennon airport sometimes as well, I

    remember,

    from when I was there, in

    2005.

    Just out of curiosity, if you have the time, that

    is.


    Thank you very much for your help in

    advance!

    Yours sincerely,


    Erik

    Ribsskog


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  • Den skrivemåten her, har lurt meg et par ganger, det første året jeg bodde her i England

    img022 paint

    PS.

    Det er vel tredje gangen jeg får det her skjemaet nå.

    Og det er for å stemme i noe slags valg dem har her da.

    Og dem stemmer visst hvert år, kan det virke som(?)

    Ihvertfall så sender dem ut det skjemaet her, en gang i året, for det er tredje gangen jeg har fått det i posten, og det stemmer nok siden jeg har bodd her i tre år og noen uker nå.

    Så den første gangen jeg fikk det her skjemaet, så hadde jeg bare bodd her i noen uker.

    Og da var jeg litt stressa, for jeg dreiv og kjøpte inn ting til leiligheten osv.

    Så da sendte jeg inn det skjemaet, for jeg litt stressa, som sagt.

    For da, siden jeg var stressa, så tenkte jeg, at Norge, er jo i Europa, derfor er jeg en europeisk statsborger, dvs. en ‘European citizen’.

    Siden jeg er en statsborger fra et europeisk land.

    Men så ikke.

    En måned eller to seinere, så fikk jeg et litt ‘surt’ brev i posten, om at norske statsborgere ikke skulle stå i valgregisteret, ‘the electoral register’, siden vi ikke fikk lov å stemme, i de her valga dem har her borte da.

    Hva nå de valga går ut på.

    Så sånn er det.

    Og nordmenn, de får da heller ikke lån, i England, såvidt jeg har forstått.

    For alle långivere, de krever at du må være registrert, i the electoral register da, for å få lån.

    Så det er jo bare surr, for norske statsborgere i England.

    Og hva gjør ambassaden?

    Ingenting.

    De skulle jo ha fått britene til å rydde opp i dette kaoset, men det gjør de ikke.

    Norge er vel det eneste EFTA-landet, ved siden av Island, som er naboland, til Storbritannia.

    Så Norge burde ha ryddet opp i dette tullet.

    For britene pisser jo på EFTA-landene Norge, Island, Sveits og Lichtenstein, når de skriver det på den måten der.

    At de skriver ‘European citizen’, europeisk statsborger, istedet for EU-citizen, som er det som menes, med det som jeg har streket under, på skjemaet, på bildet, det menes EU-statsborger, men de skriver ‘European citizen’, istedet, dvs. europeisk statsborger.

    Det er jo som å spytte i trynet på nordmenn, islendinger, sveitsere og folk fra Lichtenstein, og si at vi ikke er fra Europa.

    Det er jo helt på trynet.

    Men ambassadefolka, de får jo det samme skjemaet som meg, i posten, hvert år.

    Men hva gjør de?

    Ikke en dritt tydligevis.

    De er visst så opptatt av å drikke champagne og spise kanapeer, på fine motagelser, i London, så dette skjemaet, og denne fornærmelsen mot nordmenn, den legger de ikke merke til engang, men bare fortsetter med champagnedrikkingen osv.

    Så sånn er det.

    Så det blir nok johncons-blogg, som må prøve å ordne opp i dette, har jeg nesten litt på følelsen av.

    Vi får se hva som skjer.

    Mvh.

    Erik Ribsskog