Expats’ right to vote
Harry Shindler MBE addressed the House of Commons on 2nd December 2014, on the issue of guaranteeing expats the right to vote after the Conservative Party pledged in their manifesto to abolish the 15 year rule if they are re-elected – this rule could affect millions of British citizens resident outside the UK in EU member states for more than 15 years, who are still closely connected with the UK and have an interest in being part of the democratic process to elect the future government.
2014 saw the European Commission issue a Recommendation for the change of the law in the UK and the 5 other member states who impose this restriction on their nationals who reside outside their country of origin, saying this law “punished UK nationals from exercising their free movement rights“.
Also this year, campaigners for the expat right to vote were relieved to see the European Referendum Bill withdrawn from Parliament as had this become law and a referendum tabled, those who are affected by the 15 year rule by living in EU member states, may not have had their chance to contribute to crucial decision on UK membership of the EU which they would be directly affected by.
Harry Shindler is pressing for the electoral law affecting non-resident British nationals to be changed, not as far ahead as 2020, but in time to allow him and many others to vote in May 2015.
