bigglesworth

BiP I am not sure, but I do not think it was in the Manifesto. Not in the copy I looked at online anyway. But there are 84 pages and I did not read it in detail.
But I agree, AFAIK the intention remains to extend the franchise.
I think the OP is confusing two issues - the extension of the franchise and eligibility to vote in the UK referendum. I believe the only actual decisions are in the EU Referendum Bill.

bigglesworth

BiP, please ignore question about Manifesto.Votes for Life was indeed in the Queens Speech.

GeniB

Not confusing anything Biggles...It's you who are getting bogged down in the political details

My proposition was quite plain and quite simple...at least to me

Why are we -as British Citizens-exempt from voteing-(regardless of any other factors) simple because we have not resided in the UK for 15 yrs? Simples!
IF we had no family or interests in the UK,no business's,no property,no pensions.and we didn't pay tax.and so none of that was vulnerable to any descisions made by the present Government . Maybe this question wouldn't be being asked.

GeniB

OK Done a little more digging into the past emails from Graham Richards of the 'Vote for Ex-Pats campaign..He took the campaign to the UK parliament where it received a reading . The last email I had from him on the 20th of Dec 2014 was in fact to mention Conexxion and a survey they had instigated to find out why more ex-pats were not registering to vote. Quite eye opening.

.Sadly he died on the 23 rd of Dec.


The campaign continues on The New Europeans.net

bigglesworth

Geni B it may be clear to you, but it certainly is not otherwise. You initial post was that the Conservatives had pfromised to reform the voting situation but had "welched". Now it has been pointed out to to you that that is not true, and that the reform is still going ahead.
Then you say that almost alone only the UK restricts people not resident in the UK from voting. This turns out also to be wrong. You state that the UK is "disenfranchising its citizens" but this too is the reverse of the truth
You then suggested that expatriates had been subjected to a "punitive tax".
It transpires that this is not in the UK but in Portugal.
You say you pay tax in the UK, and imply you pay tax in the UK on your pension from NL wherever or whatever that is, but it is very unclear why as you have been resident abroad for over fifteen years and maybe more.
Your pensions are not taxed in the UK - unless you worked for the Government. You say you have a business in the UK. But the income from that is normally taxable in your country of residence. It is not "the present Government " that would affect you, if indeed they do. It is in fact any Government.
I am sure I am not the only one who is completely confused as to what you are saying.
Could you start again?

S.& J.V.

I'm sure the vote I made via the CONNEXION was made after Christmas so it couldn't be Graham Richards who was leading the campaign....However, I will have to go through the past editions of the paper to find exactly when I made the vote....
Are we talking about the same paper...you keep calling it the Conexxion, but the one I am referring to is "the CONNEXION" ???

bigglesworth

But the Government put it in the Queens Speech. So what exactly is anyone campaigning for?

GeniB

Sorry ! Yes it was my misspelling (I was not familiar with this paper)...It is Connexion.....and as I said Graham Richards was working in collaboration with them on a couple of points..ie the survey as to why British Ex-pats were not participating in the postal voting in any large numbers.. However as I also said Graham Richards died before christmas so obviously he was no longer participating in events that came afterwards..sadly

GeniB

Oh Dear!! It might be in the queens speech Biggles but it isn't planned to come into effect until after the Referendum! (2017 ?) By that time the decision will have been made for us..Meanwhile the Brits in Gib will have been allowed to vote ...

BritInParis

I suspect this is the article you were reading on the subject.

Expat vote ban lifted, but not in time for EU referendum - Telegraph

GeniB

Where exactly has it been pointed out to me that the Conservatives didn't go back on their promise to allow reform? Or are you referring to the fact that they forwarded it until AFTER the referendum. once they were in power..? That isn't the same thing

I said that the UK was one of only 5 EU countries who doesn't allow it's citizens LIVING ABROAD to vote after they have been abroad longer than 15 yrs.---Not at all the same as ' restricts people not resident in the UK from voteing'

I'm sorry If what I said implied that the tax was from the UK..As an Ex Pat resident in Portugal I thought it would have been obvious...my mistake

I am sorry Biggles but you seem to have latched on to TAX like a limpet..This question...and I repeat ..is not about Taxation.It's about the rights of British Citizens to vote on matters pertaining to them..My private tax situation is not up for discussion here.Nor my business interests

Here's a recent quote from an article in the FT . written by the former FT Paris Bureau Chief Robert Graham May 29th 2015

'A Gibraltarian born in this self governing overseas territory on the Iberian Peninsula will have the right to cast a vote in the Referendum,even if living elsewhere like Barcelona.Someone like me ,a British Citizen,with a medal for services to Quean and country will be denied a vote having lived for more than 15 yrs outside the UK.The Conservative Government is applying 'sleight of hand' on pre-election pledges to give the vote back to all ex-pats. Ex-pats assumed this would apply to the referendum but the Conservatives have decided to postpone the pledge until after the referendum (2017/18). As many as two million British Nationals live in Europe.European Nationals live in the UK in roughly the same no's.and were included in the vote for Scottish Independence.'

S.& J.V.

I have seen these long drawn out (often nasty) arguments between people before on here so I'm dropping out...&, as usual,you have got nowhere by just arguing...no workable suggestions have been put forward.
Primarily because GeniB you have moved away from the important point of :-WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT "IT" (LOBBYING)...
Instead of trying to get the better of each other - like politicians- why not try to focus on what is going to help us in the future....THE PAST IS THE PAST & CAN'T BE ALTERED.

Red Eric

Yes, I'm painfully aware that although I am resident in Portugal I can't vote in the national elections as things stand unless I take out Portuguese citizenship (which, incidentally, is perfectly possible without Portuguese blood - one can apply after 6 years of residence). It's a major bone of contention for me and I wouldn't regard having a vote in the UK forever as any consolation. I want a vote here without having to acquire Portuguese citizenship but it doesn't look like happening given that the current arrangements appear to be reciprocal across the EU and a lot of expats seem for some reason more attached to retaining the vote in the country of their nationality.

GeniB

Sorry you feel that way S&J I certainly didn't post this question because i had some magic answer.If I was drawn away from the original post it's obviously because I have to do my best to answer questions put to me as the OP..Um like yours in fact!
I felt I gave you a couple of options..(1) to lobby your Embassy (2) to contact the 'New Europeans ' site and join their campaign. Getting angry with me doesn't solve anything either

GeniB

Quite agree Red I would like the same,but my understanding is that it might be on the books that you can apply after 6 yrs of residency! but noone seems to have acquired it yet.Please let me know of a case that has been successful ? I would be very interested to be able to quote it to the powers that be