bigglesworth

Then why carp at Cameron all the time? You and he share the same view and objective.

BritInFinland

Can we step back a little? Before lobbying anyone could someone explain exactly how/why a British exit from the EU would have more or different impact on an expat than on a UK resident? If we can't do that then why should expats lobby on the issue more than anyone else?

Garbatellamike

don't go applying logic to the scaremongering - you'll spoil the thread.....

BritInParis

And your immigration status in Finland is...? Exactly.

GeniB

Thats just the point..I have no real idea what he is up to.None of what he is doing right now makes any sense

GeniB

Winding back durh!!! If Britain leaves the EU it could (in theory I agree) jeopardise the position of British ex-pats abroad (for whatever reason,not everyone is retired) The first thing that comes to mind is the pension.It might persuade the Government that they have no further need to index link them anymore for ex-pats as is the case in Australia.The second thing is no more discussion on our voting rights.We won't have any as is the status quo now for those who have been out of the country for longer than 15 yrs. We also have no right to vote in the country we live in either.(unless we become citizens of said country) Thats several million people with no democratic rights.It might seem trivial to worry about these things when millions of refugees are fleeing their homes.We have however had a sharp reminder on how things could turn out. We shouldn't be complacent enough to think it won't happen because we are British.It's certainly not 'scaremongering' to make people think outside the box.for a moment and make their voices heard

Red Eric

This is not specific to UK citizens moving to the EU - UK citizens anywhere in the world retain the right to vote in the UK for 15 years after departure. Whether or not the UK leaves the EU, that right will either remain unchanged or be altered across the board, unless there is a change at EU level in the meantime.

GeniB

Yes I know that and I still find that un-democratic and why I am objecting.

your last sentence 'unless there is a change at EU level in the meantime' says it all. Ex -pat Brits in Australia lobbied for quite some time to have their Pensions index-linked like the rest of us.to no avail.I can't second guess this Governments intentions in regard to us.Maybe they intend to bring us in line with Australia if they leave the EU? All I can do is register my opinion.which I have done It's up to others to decide if they want to or not

Red Eric

State pensions and voting rights are separate issues - I agree with you about the danger to pensions because it's the EU, at least in part, that protects those as far as intra-EU migration is concerned.


Voting rights are a different matter and for general elections are identical for expats inside or outside the EU - leaving the EU makes no difference as things stand. We have no special protection at EU level (nor are we likely to have unless there's a sudden and unexpected change).


As far as the impact the UK leaving the EU would have on expats in the EU goes, voting rights won't be affected and so are irrelevant to the debate.

GeniB

Not sure I get your argument here Eric? It's the fact that Graham Richards brought thousands of Ex-pat votes to the Conservatives before the election that prompted them to promise to revise the 15 yr law brought in in 2001. Getting a majority then prompted them to drop that promise.It looked for a moment like we had an edge.They needed us to make a difference to a predicted coalition. 5 million potential voters is not to be sneezed at.Or you would think so. The Ex-pats only voted because of concerns about their status in the EU.If we leave the EU that becomes a dead duck.
Remember this post was about being able to vote in the Referendum on the EU
who cares whether we can vote or not after we have left.I would probable become a Portuguese citizen in that event .

Red Eric

The Conservative pledge made last autumn was to give the vote for life to all British expats.

Membership or otherwise of the EU is irrelevant to that pledge.

As far as the referendum goes, if it's done on the basis of whoever was eligible to vote in the last election gets a vote, as looks highly likely to be the case on this issue, again it's irrelevant whether the government decides to enact their pledge immediately or after the referendum.

GeniB

It's kinda relevant to those of us who would have wished to have a vote in the Referendum Eric! Like.um Gibraltar and Malta and NI.( were these people eligible to vote in the last election then? news to me)

Anyhoo This is getting to be a pointless merry go round isn't it. You feel that being able to vote is irrelevant to Brit Ex-Pats. Particularly irrelevant in terms of whether we stay in the EU or leave. Good! you have made your point.My whole post was on not agreeing with that stance so we must beg to differ

BritInFinland

My immigration status in Finland is... totally unrelated to the EU. I had a permanent residence permit here before Finland joined the EU so the EU has no bearing on that. That is me though, and others may be in a different position and feel a British exit from the EU might mean them having to leave their new country. I would understand them being concerned on that basis. The point though is to be clear about why you want to lobby about it.

Red Eric

How the Dickens did you get to that from what I posted?

Never mind an answer - I don't actually need an explanation. I'm just astonished.

BritInParis

In that case you are the exception that proves the rule. The vast majority of British citizens residing in Europe are doing so thanks to EU/EEA membership. If the UK was to leave then their status would become very uncertain.