Petition for expat MPs for Britons
A Briton is petitioning for new MPs for expats; meanwhile a Lords enquiry could be held into expat voting rights
RETIRED policeman is asking expat Britons to sign a petition calling for special MPs to represent them in the UK.
The development comes as there is also positive news from the House of Lords, with Tory peer Lord Lexden likely to lead an all-party enquiry into reforming expats’ voting rights.
Peter Johnson, who lives in Spain but has also spent time in France, was inspired to start an e-petition after France introduced MPs for expats for last year’s elections. These represent large constituencies made up of portions of the globe where expats live.
Unlike Britons, whose voting rights run out after 15 years away, French expats retain the right to vote in national elections for life.
Mr Johnson believes there is no reason for Britain not to adopt a similar system to France. His petition can be found at: Expat MPs petition It had 476 signatures on writing this article – and needs 100,000 if it is to be debated in the House of Commons.
If Britain accepted this idea, it might defuse some of the arguments against lifetime voting rights for expats that were raised by some members of the UK House of Lords in recent debates after Lord Lexden tried to introduce an amendment to a current elections bill, ending the 15-year rule.
Some peers suggested it was wrong for people who had lived away from their old UK constituency for many years to still affect who is elected there.
Lord Lexden withdrew his amendment earlier this month after a first debate, but attempted to reintroduce it on Monday – when he was again asked to withdraw by the government, and did so. There is opposition in the Lords from all the main parties and Lord Lexden has said he wanted to avoid the “division” that would have resulted if the amendment was voted on.
However the government whip who asked him to withdraw, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, raised the issue of France’s special expat constituencies and questions of where UK citizens overseas should be registered to vote, before adding “I suggest Lord Lexden should pursue the question of an all-party inquiry into this rather neglected area.”
Lord Lexden said the idea was “extremely attractive” and he would be seeking a meeting with his colleague about how that could proceed.
