Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

The Elections BIll in Westminster has now received Royal Assent. The bill gives the right to vote for all expats regardless of how long they've been out of the UK. This is potentially huge for pensioners, and their voting family members, living in Australia,Canada amongst other places where the UK state pension is 'frozen'. There are around 500,000 'frozen' pensioners around the world, many of whom lost the chance to vote previously. Now that their vote is restored hopefully the government will take our requests to be treated like the other 96% of pensioners, and have our annual pensions uprated, more seriously since there's some votes to be had.

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

Also allows those of us planning to move back to get back on the electoral roll before we move "thumbup:

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

As long as the system works! I gave up voting because by the time I received voting papers it was too late to return them.

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

With the decimation of staff in government departments, I would think the situation will not be as easy as you would hope, these people will also have to deal with the requirement of all voters, who turn up in person, having photo ID. Local councils will provide these things FOC, but will receive NO additional funding for this, so heaping more work on stretched departments and councils.

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

This is the best thing I've read all day - any country that's reducing the number of bureaucrats is doing the right thing. Less passengers (sorry, civil servants) means less fiscal drag and smaller government - which is always better. Well done the UK!

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

No, it just means longer queues and longer waiting times, big backlogs, especially in passport renewals and driving license applications, people missing their holidays because their passport wasn't back, long queues at borders in airports, this is all in additions to the extra work caused by Brexit. Now councils budgets will be decimated by them having to supply photo ID for those without it, and it's all coming out of their current budget, no extra from the corrupt and useless government.

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

I must admit (being purely selfish!) I'm not that bothered about voting while I'm still in Aus - I think in the first 15 years I was here I only managed to get the papers back in time twice. But the ability to get back on that electoral roll before I move back is very valuable from a point of view of re-establishing residence.

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

Some of us do actually work for our salaries you know, and take pride in our work - please don't tar us all with the same brush!!

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

Hi, the plan is that overseas electors (and maybe UK residents) will be able to download voting papers online. Whether that plan works or not in practice we'll see.

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

I'm sure some of tyou do - you're a minority though

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

No. If there are backlogs and queues then the government needs to get creative - automate, machine learning, streamlining processes, demand higher productivity, privatise non-critical functions etc. But always, alway, reduce the headcount. Less bureacurats means smaller government, lower taxes and better economic activity - all of which are desirable outcomes. The problem is in the UK, as in most Western countries, senior civil servants are too powerful and dictate their own direction rather than follow government policy - the tail wags the dog basically. Madness but there it is

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

''The Elections Act
As well as making voter ID mandatory at polling stations, the Elections Bill - or Elections Act, as it has now become - will remove the independence of our elections regulator, the Electoral Commission by giving Ministers the power to direct how they do their work.''

With no compulsory national ID cards in the UK, who is most likely to have no driving licence and no passport? Correct, the poor, who can't travel. The elderly, whose advanced years and/or health mean that driving and foreign travel is no longer an option. Those with disabilities who fall into the previous categories. The homeless, those with almost no income due to the no-address-no-benefits cycle. So with one swoop, a whole bunch of the vulnerable within the population have lost their ability to vote under the new law, which is very convenient for the current incumbents as they weren't exactly tory voters to begin with. All this despite no evidence of voter fraud. ''The government’s own research suggests that 9% of the public do not have up-to-date and recognisable photographic ID''. Attempts to get photo ID held by younger voters (also traditional non-right voters) was dismissed. Oyster 60+ cards are acceptable, but Oyster 18+ student cards are not - coincidence? https://www.bigissue.com/news/politi...eople-to-vote/

Fascism doesn't arrive with a boot on the face, as they say. If you got 'something' from this bill becoming law - as an expat I also benefit - it's definitely at the expense of countless others whose lives are affected far more, as they still live there.

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

No. Privatising a policy of last century and a proved failure. Although obviously makes a few rich. A reduction in head numbers, generally means an attempt to do the same service with less people. Most people would prefer direct contact with a human in all number of areas more automated , standardised services. Same as most people have had enough of austerity measures and increasing unaccountability.
While Senior Civil servants may well hold a lot of power, it hardly dissipates with privitisation. Just in different hands with goals of enriching selves and share holders.

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

huh huh

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

A cracking example of privatisation working for the people exists in Sydney. Sydney can nearly boast one of the best urban motorway systems in the world. Tax payer support on current levels alone would have never made this possible given the cost of roads and tunnelling. And my word they are some mighty tunnel projects. Someone pays somewhere for these type of engineering feats and without dramatically increasing taxes, now or on future generations that best way to make it happen is by selling off the asset, moving that revenue into the next project, and allow the buyer to charge a user pay system. ....... user gets a choice. Use or not.

Of course you will still get the nay sayers but these types are too short sighted to understand that the cost of such projects would prevent them from happening at all without privatisation.

And what's the point of us tax payers owning such assets anyway? Tax payers owning assets is just money that can't be liquidated into the next asset or service for the people.

Re: Elections Bill and frozen pensions
 

I contacted the MP for my previous UK constituency regarding when and how I'd be able to vote in future UK elections now that the Elections Bill is law, this is his reply;

Thank you for getting in touch about the Elections Act and the widening of eligibility to vote in UK elections for overseas voters from the current 15 year limit. My team have checked the timings with the experts in the House of Commons Library who have answered as follows:
[...] The 15-year limit on overseas voter registration is to be removed and they will be able to register again in the constituency, having previously been registered to vote before they left.
However, they will not be able to register just yet.
Although the Elections Act has now been passed, the provisions in the Bill are being implemented in phases. The Government’s priority are the voter ID provisions for domestic voters in polling stations, and these will be in place in time for local elections in May 2023.
The new provisions for overseas voters need additional secondary legislation to be in place and this is expected next year. Once that is in place, newly enfranchised overseas voters will be able to register with the local council. It is expected this will be sometime later in 2023 or early 2024 but there is no firm date as yet.
So it is definitely on its way, but it hasn’t quite arrived yet! In the meantime, there’s some (rather more general) information about how to register as on overseas voter at https://www.gov.uk/voting-when-abroad but I’m sure this will be updated once your vote has been successfully restored!

Looks like I'll have to wait a while longer yet.