The British prime minister is being urged by fellow Conservatives to quicken his pace with a bill to re-enfranchise British expats.
The Queen’s Speech in May said the “15 year rule” would be abolished. The rule means that about one million British expats are denied a vote.
But the Votes for Life Bill has not been tabled for debate in Parliament. A Cabinet Office spokesman confirmed that the Government was working on the Votes for Life legislation, but did not give an indication of its timing.
Now Conservatives Abroad says it hopes that the Bill will go through in time for expats to be able to vote in the referendum on the EU which could be scheduled for as early as 2016.
Last May, Downing Street indicated that the 15 year rule would be kept in place for the referendum. British expats who have lived abroad for fewer than 15 years can participate.
Sir Roger Gale, a Conservative MP who campaigned to restore expat voting rights, wrote to the Prime Minister about two weeks ago seeking clarification on the point, but said he had not yet had a response.
“We’ve made a clear promise [on the 15-year rule] and if it’s going to be done at all, then it ought to be done in time for people to vote in the referendum,” he has said previously.
Brian Cave, a British expat in France who runs the Votes for Expat Brits campaign said: “Few of us would be living in other countries of the EU if it were not for the treaties signed between the UK and the EU. According to the Central Brittany Journal there are as many French living in south-east England as Brits living in France. A Brexit would affect both.”
Paul Barnes of Conservatives Abroad said: “It was our campaign within the Conservative Party that persuaded the party to commit to the Votes For Life Bill in the 2015 manifesto.
“We hope that the Votes for Life Bill will have gone through in time to be in force for the referendum. But it depends on the timing of the Bill and the referendum. We are pushing for this and will raise it with John Penrose, the Constitutional Affairs Minister.”
The Liberal Democratics at their party conference this week agreed that all British expats in the EU should be able to vote in the referendum on the EU. Paul Barnes pointed out that when in government the party was against abolishing the 15 year rule.
Comments
"Before 1985 British citizens resident outside the United Kingdom were unable to register to vote in UK Parliamentary elections. The Representation of the People Act 1985 extended the franchise to British citizens resident outside the UK and enabled them to register as ‘overseas voters’ in the constituency for which they were last registered. This was initially for a period of 5 years, this was later extended to 20 years by the Representation of the People Act 1989, and then reduced to 15 years by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000."
It is all to do with 'links to the country' weakening over time but takes no account of the inability of many to vote in their country of residence.
Mrs Ed is American and has postal votes for US elections despite not having lived there for 40 years.
Ed
Hence I am disenfranchised within the EC.
Many 15 years + expats would be happy to be able to vote in Portugal but can not.
Reasons to want UK representation are tax issues, pension rights, education costs for family, property rights, reciprocal healthcare arrangements, continued UK EC membership or not, the list is a long one.
The UK classes expats as citizens when they die for tax purposes but we can not vote on matters that affect us, whether here or there.
The 15 year ban does not affect embassy and consular staff or members of Her Majesty's armed forces - why are they different?
And ipso facto why wanting to vote in the "old country" ? What might be the advantages and eventually the results of such an act ???? And let us be honest with ourselves: after so many years who would still be interested "in the old chap that once upon a time left the country" ????That's what I am asking myself.
Anyone who has tried to make good legally in the Graeco Roman countries will know everything has been put in place to delay and obstruct. To over charge and under deliver. Forcing so many of us Brits to cut corners or go home in despair.
Exactly what the EU is NOT intended to be.
With this change our UK politicians cannot continue to ignore us.