Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald
@lopezfitzgerald.bsky.social
Irish-Mexican American
Only in the English language, which is why the Spanish speakers of Latam hate it when you refer to an estadounidense as simply an American. Americano is used to refer to anyone from the American continent. But are you saying then Serbians or Ukranians are not European? Cos they are, so are Brits.
December 23, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Only in the English language, which is why the Spanish speakers of Latam hate it when you refer to an estadounidense as simply an American. Americano is used to refer to anyone from the American continent. But are you saying then Serbians or Ukranians are not European? Cos they are, so are Brits.
You ever met someone from South America? They absolutely hate that conflation.
December 23, 2025 at 1:30 AM
You ever met someone from South America? They absolutely hate that conflation.
I would just love a serious journalist to simply ask "why?" and then expand to say under FoM net migration was far far lower, not to mention all the opportunities Brits are missing out on, it's their FoM too that was lost. Why deny your own people freedoms?
December 22, 2025 at 5:32 PM
I would just love a serious journalist to simply ask "why?" and then expand to say under FoM net migration was far far lower, not to mention all the opportunities Brits are missing out on, it's their FoM too that was lost. Why deny your own people freedoms?
Also by actually talking positively about FoM, if/when the UK eventually has to relent instead of the perception that the UK was reluctantly beat into submission, its a much easier sell that this is mutually beneficial and something they actually want not something "forced" upon them.
December 22, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Also by actually talking positively about FoM, if/when the UK eventually has to relent instead of the perception that the UK was reluctantly beat into submission, its a much easier sell that this is mutually beneficial and something they actually want not something "forced" upon them.
As long as they keep ruling it out, they will get nothing substantially beneficial.
December 22, 2025 at 4:23 PM
As long as they keep ruling it out, they will get nothing substantially beneficial.
Which is precisely why the strategy from the UK (if it can be called a strategy) is so dumb. Instead of keep saying "we will not accept FoM", they should make the positive case for it. Once FoM is detoxified in the UK a range of possibilities open up.
December 22, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Which is precisely why the strategy from the UK (if it can be called a strategy) is so dumb. Instead of keep saying "we will not accept FoM", they should make the positive case for it. Once FoM is detoxified in the UK a range of possibilities open up.
Brexit Britain is here to stay for a long time yet...
December 22, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Brexit Britain is here to stay for a long time yet...
Even in terms of what will benefit the UK, the single market would be better than the CU but such is the aversion to FoM they won't go near it. It's the same with even the supposed pro-EU Lib Dems, they're banging on about CU because even they don't want to talk about FoM.
December 22, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Even in terms of what will benefit the UK, the single market would be better than the CU but such is the aversion to FoM they won't go near it. It's the same with even the supposed pro-EU Lib Dems, they're banging on about CU because even they don't want to talk about FoM.
Again with the aversion to FoM
December 22, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Again with the aversion to FoM
Let's be honest, most people naturalise or take another citizenship (especially later in life) not because they "feel" a certain way, they do it for personal benefit. Whether that is no more residency renewal anxiety or improved travel freedom.
December 22, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Let's be honest, most people naturalise or take another citizenship (especially later in life) not because they "feel" a certain way, they do it for personal benefit. Whether that is no more residency renewal anxiety or improved travel freedom.
If someone born and raised in England with 3 grandparents from England but one from Scotland or Wales it'd be ridiculous to call that person Scottish or Welsh, they're clearly English but now replace the Scot/Welsh grandparent with an Irish one and suddenly they're Irish themselves? Do me a favour.
December 22, 2025 at 2:43 AM
If someone born and raised in England with 3 grandparents from England but one from Scotland or Wales it'd be ridiculous to call that person Scottish or Welsh, they're clearly English but now replace the Scot/Welsh grandparent with an Irish one and suddenly they're Irish themselves? Do me a favour.
Yes freedom of movement is the big stumbling block, if that can be detoxified suddenly anything is possible.
December 22, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Yes freedom of movement is the big stumbling block, if that can be detoxified suddenly anything is possible.
Absolutely. And that goes for Brits who have a Polish grandparent or Italian or w/e, the reason Ireland comes up so much is because its so common and most Brits actually do some have Irish ancestry but unfortunately for many its too far removed to be recognised for a passport. The luck of the draw.
December 22, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Absolutely. And that goes for Brits who have a Polish grandparent or Italian or w/e, the reason Ireland comes up so much is because its so common and most Brits actually do some have Irish ancestry but unfortunately for many its too far removed to be recognised for a passport. The luck of the draw.
Nobody is suggesting people actually born in Ireland are "Brits with lucky passports" but a Brit born and raised in England with a grandparent from Dublin rather then Edinburgh, that case can certainly be made!
December 22, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Nobody is suggesting people actually born in Ireland are "Brits with lucky passports" but a Brit born and raised in England with a grandparent from Dublin rather then Edinburgh, that case can certainly be made!
That Mark chap seems a bit insecure he blocked me for this
December 22, 2025 at 2:11 AM
That Mark chap seems a bit insecure he blocked me for this
That's part of the reason why its so dumb. The EU won't budge on freedom of movement, the UK can't get anything meaningful without it instead of continuing to paint it as the big bad start making the positive case for it.
December 22, 2025 at 1:58 AM
That's part of the reason why its so dumb. The EU won't budge on freedom of movement, the UK can't get anything meaningful without it instead of continuing to paint it as the big bad start making the positive case for it.
If you say so
December 21, 2025 at 2:14 PM
If you say so
I know many such people. Not one of them had much if any care for Ireland, they used their good fortune for personal benefit nothing else.
December 21, 2025 at 2:03 PM
I know many such people. Not one of them had much if any care for Ireland, they used their good fortune for personal benefit nothing else.
So they'd have chosen to have British passports despite identifying as Irish?
December 21, 2025 at 1:55 PM
So they'd have chosen to have British passports despite identifying as Irish?
I didn't say there wasn't. There's also vast numbers of people in mainland Britain who don't consider themselves Irish at all but have an Irish grandparent or two.
Anyone who genuinely identified as Irish would already have had the Irish passport. Brits claiming them after Brexit did 4 convenience
Anyone who genuinely identified as Irish would already have had the Irish passport. Brits claiming them after Brexit did 4 convenience
December 21, 2025 at 1:37 PM
I didn't say there wasn't. There's also vast numbers of people in mainland Britain who don't consider themselves Irish at all but have an Irish grandparent or two.
Anyone who genuinely identified as Irish would already have had the Irish passport. Brits claiming them after Brexit did 4 convenience
Anyone who genuinely identified as Irish would already have had the Irish passport. Brits claiming them after Brexit did 4 convenience
Why didn't they have these passports before if their heritage is so important to them?
They simply found a way to jump the queue.
They simply found a way to jump the queue.
December 21, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Why didn't they have these passports before if their heritage is so important to them?
They simply found a way to jump the queue.
They simply found a way to jump the queue.
Never heard of Colm Kelleher, don't know enough about Noel Gallagher.
What I have come across is many Brits who simply use Ireland as a passport of convenience.
What I have come across is many Brits who simply use Ireland as a passport of convenience.
December 21, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Never heard of Colm Kelleher, don't know enough about Noel Gallagher.
What I have come across is many Brits who simply use Ireland as a passport of convenience.
What I have come across is many Brits who simply use Ireland as a passport of convenience.
What a grandparent who's heritage they never cared for before it became convenient?
December 21, 2025 at 1:19 PM
What a grandparent who's heritage they never cared for before it became convenient?
I think the focus on Ireland is simply because of the history of the two islands, until recently Ireland was simply another region of the UK like a Londoner with a Geordie grandparent. It's very common for heritage Brits to have an Irish grandparent.
December 21, 2025 at 1:18 PM
I think the focus on Ireland is simply because of the history of the two islands, until recently Ireland was simply another region of the UK like a Londoner with a Geordie grandparent. It's very common for heritage Brits to have an Irish grandparent.
Requirements also include renouncing existing citizenships in most cases.
December 21, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Requirements also include renouncing existing citizenships in most cases.