A petition protest is calling for new MPs to represent the financial and legal interests of British expats living and working overseas.
The brainchild of Peter Johnson, the idea is inspired by the French, who have elected 11 MPs tasked with representing French émigrés.
Among them is one the constituency of Northern Europe, looking after French people in the UK and Ireland.
Another country which gives expat communities a voice is Italy, which has voted in overseas MP for seven years.
Johnson, a retired policeman, said: “With millions of Brits living abroad who still pay tax in the UK, they deserve a say about what is going on. They should be allowed a voice in where their money goes.”
Frozen state pensions an issue
The 64-year-old has lived in Spain for the past six years. Before that, he had stays in Germany and Malta.
Johnson argues expat MPs would tackle the controversial issue of British taxpayers automatically paying winter fuel allowance for those living in warmer climates and offer some hope for expats fighting frozen state pensions.
“I don’t see why each area cannot have a representative such as the USA, Canada, Europe and the Middle East, for example,” he said.
“With modern technology like Skype, MPs can easily keep in touch with their constituents.”
Expats can currently vote in elections, but only for where they lived before emigrating and for only 15 years afterwards – after which they lose voting rights.
Right to vote
In recent years, campaigns and legal cases have been launched to have the 15 year rule amended, but no government has acted to make the change.
With more than 5 million British expats living and working abroad, this latest campaign is triggering much interest.
The last French election saw MPs representing expats elected for the first time – and the UK was a vital electioneering ground.
The French community in the UK is thought to number between 300,000 and 400,000, and the country has a long tradition of MPs representing overseas territories.
Johnson, who is paying British tax on his private pension while in Spain, said: “Another issue that many expats still have family living in the UK so even if the decision made in Parliament don’t affect them, they do affect their families.
“The point is to get proper representation for expats around the world, not just in the EU but we need 100,000 signatures before it stands a chance of being discussed in Parliament.”
Mr Johnson’s e-petition is here: https://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43238
Anyone would think that expats-especially pensioners, had never paid tax etc in England. And how can the gov excuse themselves from not only paying winter fuel? ( our winters are often minus 15c) when they are handing out left right and centre to immigrants entering the uk, where is the justification?
We should be getting pension credits too– in examples such as ‘here’ ( Italy) because the supposed reciprocative arrangement where the country of destination fails to pay where they are supposed to— according to EU rules. For instance uk gov dont pay expats pensions credits ( whereas they are paid as far as I understand to immigrants moving to the uk.) seems unjust. It is right that uk gov should be paying us pension credits to top up. Because just as much, or a great deal more could be saved- by depriving European immigrants to UK of their unpaid for pensions and pension credits. What is with this punishing people who move to live in another country, we are doing England a favour by reducing the population and by not drawing off the health service or care in old age.