What with Brexit and the state of the National Health Service and many other issues, I was quite amazed to see that the British government is pushing ahead with plans to give British expats the vote for life. I am not complaining, I think that British citizens should keep the vote but you would have thought that the British government had got more pressing matters to deal with. Perhaps the government is looking ahead to the next elections and believe that an influx of expat votes will allow them to cling on to power. One of the reasons why the Labour Party was allegedly opposed to giving votes for life was the perception that most expats would vote for the Conservatives. Not the case. It is the same with Brexit. There is a perception that most expats would have voted to stay in the European Union. Wrong! Expats like their counterparts in Britain are split.
The vote
Palma11/02/2018 00:00
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3 comments
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Since moving to Spain I have never voted in a UK election, even though I was entitled to it as really it has very little to do with me. I did vote in the referendum as I was eligible, and frankly it did have quite a lot to do with me. I have been paying taxes in Spain for 10 years+ I have a business here, a mortgage here and a kid who was born here and goes to school here. I would swap a vote in the UK for a vote in Spain in a heartbeat. As they say, no taxation without representation should be the rule.
Agreed. Where you pay your taxes should be the only criteria for being eligible to vote.
I have always held the view that you should be entitled to vote in all elections in the country where you pay your taxes, with special arrangements for those whose income is below the tax threshold.