That I'll never be able to vote or belong anywhere again?

[daretodenim]

I'm Scottish and live in an EU country where you have to be a national to vote. So I can't vote here. If I were to become a national, I'd have to renounce my UK citizenship. I'm British, I don't want to do that.

As I've been out of the UK for 15 years, I am not eligible to vote in the UK.

As I'm not living in Scotland I'm not eligible to vote in any Indy Ref.

I've been holding out hope that IF Scotland became independent I'd get a Scottish passport and somehow made a link that I'd get a vote. However, I realised today that every single time an indy ref is discussed by Sturgeon and she refers to Scottish voters, she refers to "the people of Scotland". She does not refer to "Scots".

So basically, I'm not considered a person of Scotland, as that's those who live there.

I'm never going to get to vote again, am I? In the country I'm living in (and will have to for complex reasons for the foreseeable future), I'm considered British/Scottish. They don't see me as one of them, because I come from abroad. Fair enough. Yet, neither Britain nor Scotland see me as one of them either, because I'm living abroad.

So if I want to be part of a democracy, I have to renounce my identity. I can't quite believe this can be happening.

But you say you've been there more than 15 years, the kids must be quite old now so maybe not that much longer to wait?
As I've said a few times, I've been out of the UK for 15+years but not in the same country, and not the same amount if time in each either. I had no choice about the actual location, it's basically "take the job or leave the company". Similarly I did not choose the country I'm in now and if I'd been free to choose it would never have been this one, but I'm making the most of it - not much choice. It's not like choosing a holiday location though. Some companies and positions require frequent international relocation. While we lived in three countries, we didn't have more than 6 months of certainty that we weren't moving again, until I ended the relationship.

My kids were not born the moment I left the country either. There's a very long time before I am free to make decisions about where I live.

Someone (sorry can't tag) mentioned it's more the fault of the country I live in not allowing dual nationality. It is, but it doesn't make a material difference to me. In order to become a citizen of this country I have to give up being British. I just don't feel I can. Especially because that means I can't come back to live without applying for a visa. In order to get UK nationality back I believe you have to live in the UK for 5 years. Fine (fair enough too), but with the new rules I wouldn't be able to have enough points to do that!

People's lives aren't always that mapped out

If you plan to make a life abroad, and emigrate abroad, why should you have a vote in the UK?

If your life changes and you return, then you have a vote. On things that affect you. NHS, education, crime, police levels, UK taxes.

Because when I moved abroad when I was 20, it wasn't a lifelong decision. It was as easy as moving from London to Liverpool. I had no idea at that point that I would be staying abroad for the long term and that eighteen years down the line people would be voting to strip me of my rights as an EU citizen to go back and forth as I pleased.

The overseas seat idea is a good one, UK foreign policy and Brexit hugely impact British citizens abroad and they should have representation.

The nastiness of some posts is depressing, and I can understand that not wanting to give up your passport has an emotional as well as practical side.I feel more British since I've been away, if anything.

Uk tax affects me now

UK tax affects many people who have no ties to Britain other than having an investment here or some UK sourced income. And this applies to many countries across the world. Having to pay tax in a country is not a good reason to have a vote in that country.

Having friends and relatives in the UK and planning to return are good reasons. The OP has been clear she doesn't want to remain in that other place but some posters would just shut the door in her face. That's an awful mentality. Leaving doesn't mean turning one's back on the country, on one's past, or losing interest in what goes on there. Life is complicated and takes unexpected turns. Those who don't get that basic fact should frankly get out more.

Once again, foreign investment in the U.K. isn’t relevant. A British citizen who pays U.K. tax should be able to vote, uk state pension also affects me, as do lots of other laws

“In order to get UK nationality back I believe you have to live in the UK for 5 years.”

Nope - it definitely doesn’t say that.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/632943/registration-as-a-British-citizen-following-renunciation-v1.0.pdf

As I keep saying, as far as I can see it seems to be, if you gave it up because you were in a country that doesn’t allow dual citizenship it’s pretty straightforward to get it back.

Voting should definitely based on residency and not nationality. Residents will definitely be affected in every aspects in their lives. National abroad might be affected by some aspects of their life and might be affected if they come back.

Makes no sense the latter group should have more say then the former.

Why more say? Equal say surely

Given some of the replies on here I’m sooo glad we left - worth giving my vote up not to be surrounded by some of these attitudes proudly on display.

As a pp said, I’m embarrassed to be British at the moment and I never thought I’d say that

It is embarrassing to be British. The country is a laughing stock, but so self important they don’t realise it themselves.

Given some of the replies on here I’m sooo glad we left - worth giving my vote up not to be surrounded by some of these attitudes proudly on display

What - that if you decide to emigrate and set up a life in a new country, then you shouldn't have a vote in the politics of the country you left?

Hardly a horrible attitude that?

When I left the UK for Australia, I didn't even think about voting in UK elections. That was a country I had deliberately left.

Britain is in a distinct minority with that attitude though. Most developed countries let overseas citizens retain voting rights.

It’s the way the views are expressed on this thread. But yes, if you have links to that country and are affected by government policy then you should have a say in it. I don’t know what’s so difficult to understand

@WeshMaGueule

Wesh ma go, you're my new favourite. Agree with all you said.

But yes, if you have links to that country and are affected by government policy then you should have a say in it

A lot of people in the world are affected by UK Government policy. Maybe they should have a vote in the UK elections as well?

Why are people so down on Britain, if I move to the US I wouldnt be allowed to vote. In India I wouldnt even be allowed to buy a property as a foreign national.....we do allow dual nationality. This idea that we are so awful and other countries are soo accommodating is just BS.

if you move somewhere else (and I did for a while) you aren't in the UK. You aren't pay taxes on utility bills. You aren't paying VAT when you shop here. You aren't in touch with what is going on. I don't think expats should have a vote.

I also think that if you move permanently elsewhere, you should get citzenship of that place.

nothing wrong with moving about, but yes - cake and eat it. Can't be done.

But yes, if you have links to that country and are affected by government policy then you should have a say in it In this ever shrinking, global economy shouldnt we all then be allowed to vote in every countries elections?!

At what point do overseas ex-pats think they should stop having a vote in UK elections?

You've got 15 years at the moment. Should it be forever?

Yes why not?

I’m sick of repeating that we’re talking about U.K. citizens not any foreign investor. And I do pay U.K. tax

Do rtft if it’s not too difficult

And I buy things in the U.K. to be shipped here, so pay vat too

If it's any consolation OP I'm 50 in the UK and I've voted in every election or referendum going. NEVER has my choice won apart from, ironically, European parliament elections because they have a form of PR. Ever referendum, I lost, every parliamentary election, I lost, even local council elections, I lost.