Electoral reform lobbyists are urging expats to protect their right to vote in the UK by reminding Tory MPs that they pledged to scrap the 15-year rule on taking part in elections from overseas.
The Conservatives made a manifesto promise to lift the time limit on expats who want to vote in UK elections.
Now, the lobbyists, Votes for Expats wants to hold the party to that promise.
After more than 110,000 overseas voters registered for the May 7 General Election, the pressure group wants to push home the point that Brits abroad want to play a part in politics back home.
The group wants expats to send an email or letter to every Conservative MP reminding them of what the party laid out in the manifesto before the Queen’s Speech on May 27.
EU referendum
The speech traditionally puts down a road map of legislation for the new Parliament – and Votes for Expats wants the 15-year-rule removed as soon as possible.
The rule allows British expats to take part in elections back home. They can either vote in the last constituency they lived in or choose a new one, but lose the vote once they have lived overseas for 15 years.
The number of overseas voters registered in the last election outnumbered those eligible to vote in any UK constituency.
Votes for Expats considers lifting the ban is vital for expats who want to take part in the forthcoming referendum in the UK on whether to leave the European Union.
Hundreds of thousands of British expats live in the EU – mainly in Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and Ireland.
Votes for expats
“This is our priority as many British expats living in Europe will have no voice in their political future,” said a spokesman for the group. “This referendum will directly affect them personally, financially and professionally as their status as a European Union citizen could change overnight.
“This is a large number of people who have an influential say in the eventual result, but many who have lived outside the UK for more than 15 years are no more than bystanders and cannot vote at home in this important referendum.”
The Votes for Expats web site describes step-by-step how to contact Conservative MPs – and which ones have already received messages from expats who want to vote in the referendum.
The group is also calling on the families and friends of expats who are in the UK to add their voice to the campaign.
A bill went before the last Parliament calling for the scrapping of the 15-year-rule, but failed to reach the statute book.
