Doubts over expat referendum vote
The UK government has refused to make any promise to end the 15-year voting limit before the EU referendum is held
THE BRITISH government has refused to commit to ending the 15-year limit on the expatriate vote in time for the EU membership referendum.
The matter was raised head-on in a parliamentary question by Conservative peer Lord Lexden, who asked: “Will the government fulfil their commitment to extend full voting rights to all UK citizens overseas before the referendum on UK membership of the European Union?”.
However, Lord Bridges of Headley, speaking on behalf of the Cabinet Office, was unable to reply clearly, promising only that the government is “committed” to ending the limit (as was promised in the Conservative manifesto) and is “currently considering the timetable for doing so and will set out more detail in due course”.
He added: “At this stage I am afraid that I can make no commitment that it will be possible to make this permanent change in time for the referendum, the date for which is yet to be set.”
Asked by Lord Lexden if he would do all he could to speed up the planned bill giving expatriates votes for life, Lord Bridges replied: “I cannot go much further than the answer I gave.
“All I will say is that I entirely share his [Lord Lexden’s] sentiment that Britons abroad do, indeed, retain strong links with this country through family and friends. Many others remain fully up-to-date on British affairs thanks to today’s modern communications.”
The government has committed to holding the referendum by the end of 2017 and a bill on this is going through parliament, however UK Prime Minister David Cameron recently told the BBC “the sooner I can deliver on this commitment the better” and he would be “delighted” if it does not take as long as that. Meanwhile he is seeking to renegotiate the UK’s relationship with the EU.
The right to vote in the referendum will be mainly based on the right to vote in UK parliamentary elections at the time it is held, however it is planned that all Britons in Gibraltar will also be able to vote.
As for long-term expats elsewhere, their chance of taking part depends on how quickly parliament debates a promised “Votes for life” bill. This is supposed to be presented by the government at least within the current ‘session’ of parliament, which is to say by May next year.
