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.

You were supposed to get a vote BUT there was some legal objection about giving a vote to long term expats and Cameron, as always, took the line of least resistance and did nothing about it. Same goes for allowing 16 years olds to vote as they did in the Scots referendum. Cameron said it would happen but, again, collapsed when some of the Tory MPs in marignal seats got the wind up.

British people living in Europe should not have been denied a vote as Brexit disproportionately effects their lives. Lives which have been built on the belief that there was free movement, reciprocal healthcare arrangements, reciprocal pension arrangements etc. To have all that stripped away, to be left in limbo without even being told what any future arrangements may be. To be told on top of that you didn't have a right to even have a vote on the matter is a human rights violation.

So military staff and families who are posted abroad should lose their voting rights?

Thats really all im looking for

I think they should retain their voting rights personally

How long for would be the issue I suppose but if its no length of residency at all that seems harsh

Rugger if I had been allowed a vote then I would have voted as I thought it would affect me personally. i.e my right to healthcare in France. I imagine most people voted on that basis.

OP I also lived abroad for a number of years, and when I made the decision to move, part of the decision making process was knowing I’d lose my right to vote for a while. I still chose to move and accepted that meant I lost my right to vote.
How long did you live abroad? I've been living abroad for 3 so I still have 12 years left of voting in GEs if I choose.

Cameron made it a manifesto commitment to (re) enfranchise citizens who had moved abroad, however long they had been away. he didn't get round to getting it put into law. Those people who go on about Brexit being a manifesto commitment and therefore must be enacted should try to remember this.

It has been tested in law - Manifesto commitments are not binding, it's more the would be parties setting out their sales pitches.

Worth noting that the government committed, in 2015, to scrapping the 15 year limit and introduce voting rights for life. They obviously haven't delivered on that yet.

Brexit disproportionately effects their lives

I’m sorry, but that’s bollocks. When you choose to emigrate you can’t assume the status quo will remain for all of eternity. I spent a couple of years abroad on secondment with work, the tax treatment of things I’d relied on, to make my time away from home worthwhile, changed whilst I was away. I didn’t bleat on about how unfair it was.

Edwinbear what tenredthings is correct. If you yourself lived in a different country for 3 years wouldn't you have retained your voting rights in the UK? Or were you in a country that didn't allow for that?

"tax treatment of things I’d relied on, to make my time away from home worthwhile, changed whilst I was away. I didn’t bleat on about how unfair it was."

Brexit is causing way more problems for British in Europe than just tax regulations.

Caztonette I was in Jersey for only 2 yrs but it seemed all very complicated about Dom v non Dom status and where I should be paying tax

edwinbear - you weren't unable to vote, just too lazy to register for overseas voting

Nicola Jersey seemed to be very complicated,given my DH was still living there in our family home. I am perhaps biased because of our odd situation for a couple of years

living in the UK

I am in the same boat as you, OP.
Currently looking at getting dual nationality in my country of residence.
I am finding it very challenging because I am British, it is where I was born, grew up, educated and worked until I left. I struggle with the thought that I am able to obtain nationality of another country in the EU, when I shouldn't need to.

Yeah let's strip the military and diplomatic service of their voting rights, makes perfect sense yeah.

But those on country service don't choose to leave the country and not contribute, they are working FOR the country, and are abroad FOR the country? Surely even that is obvious

I can't believe there's actually a school of thought that says if you go and live in another country, you have "abandoned" your original country and must dislike it.
Really, you think that's why people go to other countries? What a sad, bitter, negative, insular view of the world. Kind of explains the vote for Brexit I guess.

I have lived in six countries across three continents. None of it was driven by dislike. It was all to do with opportunities, a love of travel and a desire to experience as much of the world as possible. I loved and have wonderful memories of everywhere I've been.

British people living in Europe should not have been denied a vote as Brexit disproportionately effects their lives. Lives which have been built on the belief that there was free movement, reciprocal healthcare arrangements, reciprocal pension arrangements etc. To have all that stripped away, to be left in limbo without even being told what any future arrangements may be. To be told on top of that you didn't have a right to even have a vote on the matter is a human rights violation.

Totally agree.

I would normally agree with the below, with regard elections.

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.

The EU referendum affects you (and EU citizens living in the UK) more than most who did get a vote though so I would absolutely agree that you should have had a vote.

Why though? They were the rules at the time. There will always be a cut off. It you were that worried about your right to vote in a country you did not live in then you could have moved back!

This wasn't an ordinary vote like an election. Of course people disproportionately affected like UK citizens in Europe and people from other EU countries in the UK, should have had a vote.
A lot of these replies smack of "Fuck you, traitor".

Why though? They were the rules at the time. There will always be a cut off.
The same manifesto that gave us the referendum also promised an end to any cut off in voting rights for Brits living overseas.

I've got a German friend who has been in the UK for about 20 years. I remember her saying she couldn't vote in some (or all?) German elections and could only vote in local ones here. So this sort of situation isn't UK only. She's just got her UK citizenship.
The reason the Irish can vote here is because they have special status and rights and had them long before the EU and, I read somewhere, will continue to have them after Brexit.

I have lived in six countries across three continents. None of it was driven by dislike. It was all to do with opportunities, a love of travel and a desire to experience as much of the world as possible. I loved and have wonderful memories of everywhere I've been

Ah well done 👏👏👏

What else are we supposed to say?

YABU. I had a vote, as did DH, but we chose not to use them as we haven’t lived in the UK since 2009.

I did wonder about voting because my children may choose to move back as adults. Then I thought that a “may happen in 10 years” probably didn’t trump “we are living here now” - and given that brexit won’t affect us at all currently, I figured it would be unfair of me to vote.