AIBU to think it was unfair that I didn't get a vote (Brexit)

[Nicolamarlow1]

At the time of the referendum my DH and I had lived in France for more than 15 years and therefore we couldn't vote in the referendum (or in any other UK elections come to that). We are now back in the UK. Just because we lived there at the time didn't mean we were there forever. While we were in France we were still British citizens and there must be thousands of expats like us who were denied a vote on Brexit.

YABU. If you have lived out of the country so long you wouldn’t be able to make an appropriately informed decision, so you were rightfully denied one.

You can’t have your cake and eat it. You decided not to live here for an extended period of time so you shouldn’t have a vote on what happens in a country you left.

YABU. Brexit aside, you want people no longer living in a county to be able vote and have other people live with consequences you yourself don't have to deal with.

I’m with you OP brexit disproportionately effects those in situations like yours and you deserve a vote. Just like my European husband who has lived here for nearly 30 years and pays a fortune in business rates, corporation tax and personal tax. It’s disgusting!

Really?!

YABU. You didn’t live here or pay tax here, why should you get a say?

I think people in your scenario should have had a vote. Being a member of the EU and residing in another country as a British citizen was one of the most important issues. It’s shocking that people who were taking advantage of freedom of movement weren’t given a say.

wouldn’t be able to make an appropriately informed decision, so you were rightfully denied one.

Whilst of course everyone in the UK carefully analysed the situation. With the help of Vote Leave's whoppers.

WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue As it affected them they should have had a vote. Just because they didn’t live in the country doesn’t mean they didn’t know what was going on and they would have had the same information the rest of the country had... which happened to be a load of crap. So really, did anyone make an informed decision?

YANBU. You're still British, and your future was in the balance. Lots of places don't place a time limit on expat votes, some even have a special MP for expats' interests. Not only were well over a million Brits in Europe denied a vote, but countless others who were entitled to vote couldn't because their polling papers arrived late.

The 4 million odd people who had lived in the Uk and paid taxes for years but were originally from other EU countries didn't get a vote either.

YABU. For all the reasons mentioned already

@SheRaTheAllPowerful s husband should have had a vote

You don't live here, you haven't lived here for 15 years, why should you have a say?

I was as well informed as anyone else was at the time. Living abroad doesn't mean you can't watch British TV, read British newspapers or go on the internet, and as I said, I now live in the UK. Lots of people live abroad for a period of time and then return.

Penguincake, I paid tax in the UK all my working life.

@chinam arguably British citizens living in the EU under freedom of movement are more immediately affected by brexit than you or I (just little things like jobs, homes, friends, schools etc.) don’t you think?

YABU. You chose not to live in the UK. Therefore you should have no say in the UK's affairs. Brexit wasn't about the views of those living outside the UK. You want to live in France. Go ahead. Nobody's stopping you.

Please read my original post! I do live in the UK now, and I paid UK taxes all my working life.

Yabu. See the Scottish referendum.

I think YABU sorry. 15 years is a long time, most places you have to live for a certain amount of time and it be your main residence to vote. What if you'd been another 10 years? How would you have proved you were going back? What if youd changed your mind about returning after your voted?

I do feel however it was unfair that EU residents whod lived and paid taxes here for over say 5 years weren't allowed a vote. My husband and lots like him lived here 20 years, working all that time, bought property, married someone from the UK, has kids here etc etc and couldn't vote

ThroughThickAndThin01 The main difference to the Scottish referendum was that all citizens in Scotland got a vote, despite being Scottish or not. I don't understand why EU citizens living in Britain didn't get a vote (totally not the point of the thread I know).

@Cornettoninja, that would be why I said Brexit aside. I live in Ireland. I am acutely aware of the ramifications of the absolute fuck up that is Brexit.

I don't see what paying taxes has got to do with it. You pay taxes and you get services like the rest of us. What about all the people here, or wherever, who don't pay taxes and can vote? I don't see the connection

That's not true about the Scottish referendum as there is no such thing as Scottish citizenship. The vote was given to those who had lived there a certain time. My friend who IS Scottish but has not lived there for many years could not vote

My post about paying UK tax was in response to Penguincake who said, wrongly, that I shouldn't have say in Brexit because I didn't pay UK tax.

YABU, it was even contested at UN/EU level of human rights and they found in favor of the restriction.

It's nothing more than retrospective whining that you can't pin down onto the UK government.