British expats to take Jean-Claude Juncker to court

A group of British expats are taking legal action against the European Commission and its president Jean-Claude Juncker.

It follows his edict that officials must not engage in any discussions with the British government about Brexit until it has triggered Article 50.

The group, which calls itself Fair Deal for Expats, say talks need to begin now to lift the uncertainty over the lives of the million-plus Brits living in Europe.

They say EU citizens in the UK also need to know what the future holds - in particular whether they will be allowed to stay in the country.

One member of Fair Deal for Expats, Wynne Edwards, said they believed Mr Juncker's ban on early discussions was "wrong, unlawful and unfair".

Mr Wynne, a retired solicitor living in France, told Sky News: "Mr Juncker has issued what he calls a presidential order that prohibits the UK from speaking to anyone in the EU, even exchanging documents.

"What that means is that we just don't know what our future holds for us.

"Firstly, we don't know if we're going to be able to stay in the EU or not. If we all had to leave and (our) houses had to be sold, their value would obviously drop because there would be a glut on the market.

"Young families with children who've gone to school and been brought up as French or Spanish or German ... would they have to leave, would they be disrupted?

"Even more importantly, 16 or 17-year-olds ... they are still British subjects ... would they have to leave and be separated from their parents?

"(And) people who are ill and getting treatment in France that they would not have been able to receive in the UK and would have died - what does the future hold for them?"

Henry Warwick, a barrister representing the expats, said: "What needs to happen right now is sensible talks taking place about what life holds for millions of people living across the EU who will be affected."

Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will trigger Article 50 by the end of March and has warned the EU against trying to expel the 1.2 million Britons living in Europe.

She has previously hinted at retaliatory action against the estimated 3.6 million EU citizens now in the UK.

However, reports say it will not be possible to deport them as the vast majority will have permanent residency rights by the time the UK leaves the bloc.

On a brighter note, British expats should soon have the right to vote in parliamentary elections for a lifetime under government plans to scrap the existing 15-year time limit.