rikalan

I 'm sure many of you know about not being able to vote if over 15 years away from the UK. I saw an online petition on this issue but it was unfortunately closed. Is there another way of getting this bought to govt attention as we aren't represented, or indeed a current petition on the go?

Brains1983

Why should you have a right to vote after leaving the country for 15 years (presuming that you aren't paying tax)?

Sue

Hi and Welcome,

Why not introduce yourself to everyone. How come you stumbled across BE?

rikalan

Simple. Loyalty, patriotism, care, concern for ones own people, sentimentality. A strong sense of history; what we in our country went through over the generations to get where we are etc etc. Not to mention pension issues that I have and am paying into.
I must admit I found your response irritating as there is a lot more to it than money. Maybe you aren't of British or European extraction? If so, maybe it doesn't mean much to you; ie what's going on at home. I was forced to leave to look for work. Not my choice; otherwise I would have stayed or based myself there at least. Maybe you are just thoughtless, disinterested in current affairs and/or shallow.

Sue

.... and helloooooo. Do you want to introduce yourself at all?

mikewot

You were forced to leave UK to look for work? What someone put a gun to your head?
"Loyalty, patriotism, care, concern for ones own people, sentimentality" Since you made your choice to leave the UK the only one of those reasons which can be true is sentimentality. If you were truly loyal, patriotic, cared for the UK and concerned for it's people you would have stayed.
Anyway as Sue says, welcome to BE and the ME in particular. How do you find things in the Magic Kingdom? Most of our contributors think it's a hellhole

OriginalSunshine

Fully agree. I've been away since 1996. The uk is like a foreign country to me when I return. I don't believe I have the right to vote in a country that feels like that.

Inselaffen

left in 95 and have never voted since. If I don't live there I don't feel entitled to vote

rikalan

ok, fair enough, but I do. I have friends and family there that I care about and what's more property. If you have a similar situation then maybe you should think again, especially if property is involved.
I also feel like it's a foreign place when I go back, and not only due to being away for so long. That's part of the problem

UKCityGent

Ive never voted in my life - i dont like the odds 1 in 65 million of my voice counting to put someone who decides whats best for me

Saying that i dont like the idea that my rights are being eroded - I pay tax on income gained there and any other financial obligations hence i should have my rights as if i was living there including the right to vote.

rikalan

Absolutely. I'm sure you will have a pension, too that will be subject to whatever a government decides. I know that the French have a system of expat representation and the vote returns are quite small so your voice would, presumably, be proportionately louder amongst those who would say something. I don't know. Good luck

hnd

I, too, pay tax on income (pension) paid from the UK which is more than hundreds of thousands ( or more) feckless b*stards living in the UK do so if they have the right to vote why shouldn't I? No taxation with out representation - isn't that how the saying goes?

rikalan

That's dead right

UKCityGent

Talking of pensions - i have a pension shark who was given my details so I decided to meet him. He is trying to flog a QORP - do you think its a good idea or bad of moving my UK pension to out of UK (i may return to UK to retire - if i live that long!)

rikalan

I have absolutely no idea. See if you can get info on from independent sources, blogs on the net etc. I really don't know, sorry I can't help