Petition for extended UK voting rights for non-UK residents

Thank you. Have circulated as widely as possible!

Is it fair to allow people who don't live in the country a vote? Is it fair you don't have a vote where you live and work and pay your taxes? I have always believed people should be voting in the society where they live and work, not one where we happen to have been registered. Regardless, I have passed on the link to some folk I know might be interested.

I'm neutral on this though what Mike says makes sense to me.
Those who will not be permitted to vote have to have lived outside the UK for the last 15 years. That includes me and, in my case, I know that I will never live there again.
I'd be interested to know why people think that those who have not lived in the UK for the last 15 years should, nevertheless, be able to vote there.

> Is it fair to allow people who don't live in the country a vote?
That's what the petition is about - force a debate about it in parliament.

Besides, as British Citizens, the EU gives us certain rights. I want to maintain these rights. This directly affects me and my family far more than it does most people. Yet I may find myself arbitrarily excluded from the vote, and my kids who are old enough to vote and also affected won't get a look in at all.

I think the point to be made is that it is precisely those Brits abroad who will be directly affected by a "Brexit". therefore it is entirely right and fair that those people should be entitled to have their say, since it is their lives at stake.

As regards the 15-year rule, the point is that as a Brit living abroad, I am unable to vote in my own country after 15 years, AND also am unable to vote in national elections in my country of residence, that means I cannot vote in national elections ANYWHERE. I find that more unacceptable than

Whoops, more unacceptable than someone living outside the country being able to vote.

And why should a narrow-minded, badly educated, insular, UKIP voting benefit-scrounger who's never got any further the village dole office have the right to throw away my rights and Britain's economic prosperity?

If the criterion for voting in the national elections of a country is paying your taxes there that would exclude a lot of UK residents registered to vote in this referendum. I'm a UK citizen and have lived and paid taxes in Belgium for over 20 years but, like others in this situation, now have no vote in national elections in Belgium or in the UK. Most other countries allow their expats to vote from abroad, with no cut-off year, don't they?
If David Cameron is looking to bump up the number of Yes, stay-in votes then he should fix this. After all, they changed the rules to allow 16-yr olds to votes in this coming referendum when they couldn't vote in the last general election.
Another point: UK citizens are very worried about the abuse of child benefits by other Europeans, but I think that the benefits enjoyed by some UK nationals in certain European countries (Belgium being one) are probably more generous than if they'd stayed in the UK!

I hate to disagree with "J" as I'll probably find myself in a flaming match, however it's hardly fair to say that you find yourself "arbitrarily excluded from the vote". You presumably chose to leave the U.K. at some point and come and live here. You gave up your right to vote in the U.K.

And I hardly think that calling people who oppose EU Membership "UKIP voting benefit-scroungers" will help. Whatever you think of them, they did get just under 4 million votes in the last election. Unfortunately, it's that type of condescending, patronising and arrogant attitude to people who have real concerns that has driven millions into the open arms of the far right parties in Europe, whether it be UKIP in the U.K., PVV in Holland, FN in France, etc. etc. etc.

I'm a Brit, 25 years here in Belgium, I'm passionately pro-European, and I won't be able to vote, out of choice. I left the the UK many years ago and gave up my right to vote there, and I also chose not to become Belgian, therefore I couldn't vote in national elections here.

Fortunately, my time here in Belgium is at an end, so I'm moving back to the U.K. at the end of the month, ironically, probably just too late to register to vote in the referendum!!

""I think the point to be made is that it is precisely those Brits abroad who will be directly affected by a "Brexit". therefore it is entirely right and fair that those people should be entitled to have their say, since it is their lives at stake.""

I'm presuming that you are falling for the bull droppings being spread by the NO campaign, the one that suggests all Brits will be thrown out of the EU, that all EU folk will be thrown out of the UK. Not going to happen.