To point out that if you're a UK citizen you can now register to vote even if you've lived abroad for more than 15 years?

[CrispEater]

The rules changed in January so even if you've been out of the UK for more than 15 years, you can vote.
https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/media-centre/all-abroad-more-brits-overseas-can-now-register-vote-0
It's very easy to register online.
https://www.gov.uk/voting-when-abroad

There's only one reason this is being allowed: the majority of the cheeky cunts who will use this concession are the types who will vote for a donkey with a blue rosette.

No one who lives abroad should be voting in our elections.

Jesus, this place is going to be pleasant over the next month. Is there any need?

If people are eligible to vote, then they should. If you don't like that policy, write to your mp.

Yelling at posters for doing as they allowed is just whingy fuckery.

Diplomatic service staff are classed as being on British soil and not abroad, and are in Crown Service. Their children born abroad are also British otherwise than by descent as opposed to by descent because of the parent's work in service to the UK. Quite rightly so.

It's always been like this during election time.

HQ will probably close the site to new subscribers before the actual election as the abuse from non genuine posters picks up speed. (there are already namechangers or brand new posters hurling abuse on this thread, their desperation is more to be pitied than despised I suppose.)

@HorsesDuvets do you know where I can write to get my tax and NI back seeing as "your" schools and "your" hospitals clearly don't need it?

I've been a member of the Labour Party since I was 18. I don't know any expat Tories but then they aren't the kind of people I'd want to know.
How many do you know?

If she's been living in Australia for more than 15 years, she's lying.

I think many people here underestimate just how many of us are in the EU and other countries partly because of the Tory government policies. We won't be voting for them! The traditional 'Brits in Spain' expats are hopefully a minority now. Either dying out quite literally due to age, or had to move back to the UK after Brexit (the irony).

To answer why I’m annoyed about it- there are lots of high profile Indy supporters who now live overseas, and support the SNP without having to put with their shitshow of a Scottish Government.

@Oriunda Similar situation here. Because of Tory policies, it's very, very difficult for me to bring my American husband into the UK, even though he was (legally!) living in England when we met. Then Brexit happened and closed one of the immigration loopholes, so we're in the US prety much for good, which was not the original plan at all. I love it here, but I wanted to raise my kids in the UK!

I still have family, and a pension and bank accounts in the UK. My parents are still there, and when they die, I'll inherit their house, so I'll have property there too. UK politics still influence my life a lot.

One of my greatest regrets was not being able to vote in the Brexit referendum.
I’ve had the rug pulled from under me and have lost my rights as an equal EU citizen abroad. If the vote had been extended to expats over 15 years’ duration, we might have swung it towards Remain. Now we’re second class citizens in Europe.

But I doubt @frankentall looks at it that way.

I’m a British patriot. I love my country of birth (not a Tory supporter) and have never considered taking dual nationality.
Delighted to have a vote again.

I have been overseas less than 15 years and will be voting in the UK elections. My constituency where I still own my house has been gerrymandered into a marginal.

As for coming back to use the NHS, please. I will always support well-funded and well-run socialised medicine but the NHS isn’t exactly a shining example of that now, is it? How would I even get access to it in a timely manner?

What is morally wrong about it precisely? Bloody hell, some posters have such narrow viewpoints! A stint abroad might widen your horizons a bit.

We are just ordinary Brits who happen to live elsewhere. It's actually quicker and cheaper to get to my sibling's house in the UK from the EU country I live in now, than it would be to get from many areas of Scotland to my sibling's house.

I am back in the UK minimum six times a year too.

Just because you live in a different country doesn't stop you being British or loving your country, or being invested in its politics. Many British expats have children who will eventually return to live in UK so are naturally invested in its future. I still eat fish finger sandwiches and listen to Radio 4 if that is your criteria. I also still pay some tax in UK too.

Not everyone has neat lives whereby you marry a person of the same nationality. Not everyone can pursue their career in the UK. I didn't particularly want to move abroad but I compromised because my husband isn't British. As it turned out, I love where I live now but it doesn't mean I am not interested in my own home country's future success and prosperity. I have also known people who left because they can only find the job or medical treatment they want abroad.

Citizens of other countries, such as Spain, are entitled to keep dual nationality and vote in the Spanish elections however long they stay abroad. That is a sign that the Spanish state recognizes that you don't change who you fundamentally are even after 25 years. Before the law had been changed and we were part of the EU, we were completely disenfranchised because we couldn't vote in our adopted country or back in the UK. I would argue that is more morally wrong tbh!

Quite tempted to apply to vote now, after reading this thread. Jeez.

I know lots of expats but they certainly aren’t all tories.

Ditto!! Thanks for the info OP

We left the U.K. after Brexit as it fucked up our jobs. We have a house and family in the U.K., and will have to come back when we retire as we can’t get citizenship where we are now. We will be voting.

Also, I doubt many expats go back to use the NHS - healthcare is usually far better elsewhere.

It is. And yet I had to hear it so much over Brexit that I couldn't resist.

Sorry not sorry tho

Where have you seen this info?

I've been called worse...

Thank you for the info. I will register to do so by proxy. I've not lived in the UK for 10 years but I still pay national insurance contributions monthly and I have a vested interest in how the country is for my parents and siblings, regardless of whether I return. And I won't be voting Tory.

I'm abroad and honestly don't know anyone who would vote Tory in the Brits who live around me (granted I don't know many). I've registered to vote, my vote will be registered in the constituency where I last lived.

After having a fall and not being found for 12 hours, my mum then had to wait another 6 hours laid on the floor in shit and vomit waiting for an ambulance to come and take her to hospital. She then spent another 24 hours laid on a bed in a corridor. Nurses were overstretched and she sometimes had to wait for hours for her pain medication. I shall be voting Labour. So if the Tories thought this would be bringing a blue vote to them they're completely wrong.

i think that this is awful and I don’t agree with it. If you don’t live in this country anymore then sorry but you absolutely should not be allowed to vote in any of the elections.

Why not? plenty of us have given very good reasons why we should. And will.

What is your reason apart from "wah wah they might vote in ways i don't like"?

And none of us living abroad had any right to vote in the Referendum which has affected our lives enormously.