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What Now for Tory Vote Promise to British Expats?

Life is carrying on as usual for British expats in Europe, but their futures are shrouded in uncertainty as no one seems to know how Brexit talks may affect them.

Issues such as access to free healthcare, pension payments, residence, property ownership and the right to work are at the top of the list of expat concerns.

Many feel disenfranchised because they had no right to vote in the referendum if they had left the UK more than 15 years ago.

The government doggedly defended a legal challenge by British expats prior to the referendum which went to the Supreme Court.

However, the government legal team agreed Prime Minister David Cameron and history Party made a general election manifesto pledge to scrap the 15-year ban and to allow every British expat the right to vote in UK elections.

Will manifesto pledge stand?

The problem is where does this promise sit now?

Cameron has resigned and a new incumbent will sit in his place by September.

The possibility is a new prime minister may look to a fresh general election before the spring to reinforce his or her position at the head of the party.

The manifesto claimed the new measure would be brought in by the end of this Parliament. The Parliament will end when the next election is called.

Close to 2.2 million expat voters had no voice in the referendum.

The majority voting for Brexit was 1.26 million.

Missing millions

If just over half of the ineligible expats had cast their vote to stay, the result would have been reversed.

The missing millions feel gone and forgotten.

The evidence is if expats caught by the 15-year rule were allowed to vote, the result would have followed those in Gibraltar, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where the majority clearly voiced their desire to stay in the European Union.

However, The Connexion, a web site for British expats in France, reports only an estimated 300,000 expats registered to vote in the referendum. Although higher than for other recent elections, the number registered to take part is still low and a 100% turnout was unlikely.

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