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Damp squib?

- Kingfisher auction proves to be damp squib as no bidder turns up, OneIndia.com, April 30, 2016

3. British proposals to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in Britain would cast “a dark cloud of vagueness and uncertainty” over the lives of millions of Europeans, the European Parliament’s Brexit coordinator said.

Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Guy Verhofstadt said the differences between proposals made by the European Union and Britain to guarantee the rights of people living away from their home countries were striking, the latest sign that what should be a relatively easy part of Brexit talks is far from agreed.

The EU and Britain have agreed they must first deal with the rights of citizens and a financial settlement before discussing a future trade deal after Britain leaves the European Union - something Prime Minister Theresa May wants to happen quickly.

Verhofstadt said while he accepted Britain’s vote to leave the EU, the European Parliament was not convinced that Brexit would help either the European economy or its citizens.

“The UK proposal only confirms this belief – falling short of its own ambitions to ‘put citizens first’. If implemented, it would cast a dark cloud of vagueness and uncertainty over the lives of millions of Europeans,” he wrote.

“It was a damp squib, proposing that Europeans obtain the status of ‘third-country nationals’ in the UK, with fewer rights than British citizens are offered throughout the EU.”