The UK's Liberal Democrats will fight to ensure British expats in other EU countries do not lose their right to vote, in a ground-breaking new policy adopted at the party's spring 2014 conference in York.
The party - whose policies are decided by its members at conference - also decided to look into the idea of overseas constituencies to represent Brits abroad, as used by France and Italy.
The new policy aims to ensure that Brits who exercise their fundamental rights of freedom of movement within the EU do not find themselves disenfranchised as a result, as many now are.
Although EU citizens are entitled to vote in local and European Parliament elections in their country of residence, they do not have equivalent rights at national elections. Current British rules mean that citizens based outside the UK lose their vote entirely after 15 years, irrespective of ongoing links with the country.
Giles Goodall, Chair of Brussels & Europe Liberal Democrats and an MEP candidate for South East England, has long campaigned for the change in policy.
Commenting, Goodall welcomed the breakthrough:
"There are 2.2 million Brits living in other EU countries, proving that free movement is a two-way street. Yet these citizens face the loss of their right to vote in general elections simply because they have exercised their EU right to free movement.
“They may still be working in the UK and commuting, they may have property, family and be liable to pay taxes in Britain. In today's world, they can stay in touch with politics in the UK just as easily from Luxembourg as from Luton.
"I'm delighted that the Liberal Democrats have adopted this ground-breaking new policy, which is a breakthrough for Brits all over the EU.
"I hope that the Coalition will now take up our lead to allow all British citizens to have their rightful say at the next general election."
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The Liberal Democratic party are the most pro-European Union voice in the political zoo in the United Kingdom. The Spring Conference in York re-asserted its view that UK’s future only may be secured as an active member of the EU.
Mr. Clegg made reference to an “ungenerous, backwards-looking politics that has emerged in Britain. Drawing up the drawbridge is the way to wreck the economy,” he said referring to UKIP.
The LibDem pro-Europe ticket is pretty much the only issue of a party with a dwindling supporter base since the coalition was formed in 2010. In the May 2011 council election the Liberal Democrats suffered losses in the Midlands, ‘oop north, and in Scotland. It also lost ground in the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament. In the May 2012 local elections the party lost over 300 councillors.
The LibDem pro-EU stance emanating from the Spring Conference suggests a party with a re-gigged agenda.
- Of the 2.2 million British citizens in other EU countries, just 23,000 are currently on a British electoral register enabling them to vote in General Elections.
- Although some may simply have failed to take up their entitlement to vote in the UK, others are effectively disenfranchised by current legislation providing that British citizens lose their right to vote after 15 years of residence outside the UK.
- This puts law-abiding citizens into the same category as prisoners and those in mental institutions - who are the only other groups that are currently disenfranchised under UK law.
- Britain is one of only five out of 28 EU countries to disenfranchise their citizens who live overseas. The European Commission recently invited the five to allow citizens resident in other EU countries to opt to remain on the electoral register for national elections.
The new policy states:
2.3.4 Liberal Democrats will explore the viability of 'overseas' constituencies such as those used in some other European countries.
2.3.5 Liberal Democrats in Brussels and Westminster will seek EU-wide agreement on the basis of reciprocity to ensure that EU citizens who exercise their fundamental rights of freedom of movement within the EU do not find themselves disenfranchised.
2.3.6 Various existing models could be used to achieve this, notably the Austrian 'opt-in' model whereby citizens wishing to remain on the electoral register in their home country make a declaration to that effect once every ten years. The EU dimension will ensure that citizens who opt out of voting in their home country may, subject to appropriate qualifying criteria, instead exercise voting rights in their EU country of residence. This could be implemented by amending the definition of EU Citizenship in any future EU Treaty change.
