Petition for extended UK voting rights for non-UK residents

""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.""

Exactly. To my mind, it is a MASSIVE failing of the EU that while we are free to move around the EU, we lose a most basic democratic right, the right to democratic representation where we pay our taxes. Anybody who has lived in Belgium for 16 years who is concerned about a lack of voting rights in the UK really needs to sort out his priorities.

"Currently, the UK is one of only two EU countries that disenfranchises their own citizens from voting while resident in another EU member state"

Says the petition.
So no, it's not a choice to give up our voting rights - other EU citizens keep them. It's deliberate disenfranchisement under UK law.

I get your point about being condescending with the Kippers, ANON. But
a) I've tried reasoned debate / arguments. It's futile.
b) Every vote counts, regardless of who you are or your political leanings, so if theirs counts, so should mine.

"" It's deliberate disenfranchisement under UK law.""

One that many people would agree with. Do you live in the UK? No. Do you work in the UK and pay your taxes in the UK? No. The place you need to be concerned with when it comes to voting is the one where you live and pay your taxes.

As previously stated, for this particular vote I do think there should have been an exception made. It's all very nice to say that all Brits living in the EU won't be deported, but the point is that nobody knows that for a fact. And you can't blame people for making the choice to minimise the likelihood of their own lives being shafted.

Plus, if I understand correctly, the Eurosceptics' arguments revolve around the strain on the NHS/schools etc. . Well precisely how do they envisage reducing that strain if they're not going to get rid of lots of people and ship them back? Nobody knows.

As for "the place you need to be concerned with when it comes to voting is the one where you live and pay your taxes", yes, I agree. However, in many countries in the EU British nationals are NOT permitted to do that, and I don't think it fair that they are systematically denied the opportunity to express themselves anywhere after 15 years. But we could go round and round in circles about this all day....

I do pay taxes in the UK - I pay NI contributions.

1040_77........So what you are saying is you want a vote that will help protect you in a foreign country, not a vote in the interests of the UK? Also, I would think talk of pressure on schools, housing, the NHS etc is about staunching the flow of 33,000 a year currently entering the UK, not kicking out those already working and living their lives.

I don't believe any country is immature and stupid enough to immediately start a spiteful tit for tat war.

No we don't know exactly what will happen if the UK leaves the EU but one thing is for sure, the UK and the EU will continue to need each other as partners in trade and other things. Nobody is going to start throwing out nationals of other countries, not when they are established and paying their way at least.

J....I don't believe the fact you pay NI to the UK is enough for you to have a vote to decide the future of a country where you don't live and don't have to live with the consequences of that vote, unless of course you fully intend to return to live there, which I suspect is not the case.

Thanks very much for posting this mwr, I have passed it on and about 30 people have signed the petition as a result.

"which I suspect is not the case"
WTF do you take yourself for to make such a judgement?

And I would consider that anyone thinking that Gove, Johnson and Farrage will not be full of "spiteful tit for tat" is maybe delusional.

"unless of course you fully intend to return to live there, which I suspect is not the case"

I'm also a bit surprised at such a sweeping statement. How on earth would you know this about J or about anyone else for that matter?

I've lived in Belgium for 21 years and I fully intend to go back to my home country the moment I retire. I own property there (don't own property in Belgium), all my family is there, and I'm still very well integrated there (go back several times a year). Luckily my home country is one of those EU states that allows its citizens to vote no matter how long they have lived abroad. During these 20 years I've voted in every single election I've been entitled to vote in (presidential elections, parliamentary elections, European parliament elections). it's still my country and I have very much at stake in what happens there. I suspect the same is true for many Brits as well,