Who to vote for?

[shropshirelass]

Hi

On a lighter note perhaps this might help http://www.gbjab.com/

 

[Tourangelle]

[quote]Why, as of your own will you left UK do you want to vote for a government you have chosen to leave behind with all that they have made to go wrong! as will be the subject of the many dinner parties co...[/quote]

OOOh, lots of assumptions here! What makes you think that everybody on this forum has left Britain never to return? And that they were fleeing British politics. Personally I have the opportunity to vote in a constituency where UKIP could have a slight chance, I prefer to vote to help avoid this. The rise of anti European parties in Britain could affect all of us in the long term in France.

[Missy]

[quote]OOOh, lots of assumptions here! What makes you think that everybody on this forum has left Britain never to return? And that they were fleeing British politics. Personally I have the opportunity to...[/quote]

I am not assuming anything. Only reading between the lines of a large amount of postings on this forum. Let's be honest! Why have you left UK to live in France! OK you chose France but you could have gone anywhere in the world, still you have chosen to leave UK... to return one day?...

I'll stand corrected if you are in France (or anywhere in the world) because your boss sent you there to work for a duration, so the decision was not entirely governed by your own free will, but otherwise?...

So ... Would you vote Yes or No in the French Referendum at the end of May? Assuming you could vote in France...

As to UKIP: Can't understand these blokes voting themselves out of the gravy train!

[Tourangelle]

Fair enough. Interesting question about the French referendum. I am quite glad that I don't have a vote here for the referendum in fact because I have trouble dissociating a yes vote for a vote for Chirac and all the hypocrisy I think his government represents. I am also not at convinced about Turkey joining the European Union and although I appreciate the two issues are not linked, again it does seem that a yes vote could be interpreted by some as an endorsement of Chirac's vision of the future of Europe. Then again, if Blair ever gets around to having a referendum in Britain I would vote yes, I think, because no seems a endorsement of the whole UKIP, Veritas stupidity. So very little to do with the actual consitution. So perhaps I should boycott the referendum on the grounds people (including me) never vote on the issue. Look at what happened to De Gaulle in 1969.

Um. Personally, I moved here because I met my now husband on my year abroad from uni (ok so I was studying joint honours with French, studying French because the careers advisor said as I was good at languages it was better to do that than the straight history degree I wanted to do) and he is French and he had a job here, and I didn't have one anywhere. We definitely both want to live in the UK at some later stage and as I've not yet hit thirty I think I have plenty of time!!

[moonbus<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpac]

  I find all this 'bickering' about people living in France voting in the UK quite funny!

I just wonder what Tam Dalyell would think if he read this!  It throws a whole new perspective on the West Lothian Question!

[0BRIAN WOODHEADI,m here in franceddMMyyyy0Falseen-USI,m here in franceTrue]

T`elle I will vote no,why because I and everyone else who did or did not go to uni has the right to vote how they please,the whole system how the EU and it elected meps etc are corrupt and the leader of UKIP made the whole thing look a farce when he exposed the way they voted to keep the travel and attendance allowances.

 

[Tourangelle]

Outcast

Could you read my post? What on earth has going to university or not got to do with voting in the referendum?

If you vote no in Britain, then those who are against the European Union get more of a foothold in UK politics then Britain could end up withdrawing from the EU, where would that leave people like you? IMO in a very long line at the prefecture ....

[0BRIAN WOODHEADI,m here in franceddMMyyyy0Falseen-USI,m here in franceTrue]

T`elle,you being a bright wee slip of a girl,in this line that would be how long?what would they say at the desk when I got there, outie out you go dear boy because your a brit,think not,and did not need a masters to work it out.ps lets get out of the EU while we can.

 

[chicfille]

I'd love to have voted especially as I vote in a marginal constituency, but despite registering and being accepted as an overseas postal voter, my papers have not turned up. And as polling day is upon us, it's too late. Not happy.

[Jo53]

I may live in France at the moment but Britain is my country - 38 years of life there and 2 in France. I care more about who is elected in the UK than I do about who runs France (tho of course I would oppose Le Pen). Moved here through choice but that doesn't change one's roots or identity - at least not in a short time.

Jo

[Teamedup]

Chicfille, didn't the person you nominated to vote on your behalf get the forms? If they didn't you should officially register a complaint. We voted by this method for many many years without problems, including our nominee moving a few times.

[Tresco]

Hi to all

I've said before I don't have a vote in this election, but for those people who have no been able to vote, please complain.

I am getting email from, and hearing about a stack of people (old family friends) saying their vote will not count, mainly people in the Navy for gdos sake, I may not agree with how they or you would vote, but there is a principle here, and it is being made to look ridiculous.

[letrangere]

Coming in very late to this conversation but note much earlier on reference to why those living abroad should want or be entitled to vote.  I've had this argument with friends and election officials quite recently.  Admitedly we've been gone a long time but still retain strong business links and property, as a result of which we pay a hefty amount of tax in the UK.  We've voted (by proxy) in every election until this one.  However, the (now) previous Labour government reduced the time limit that you retain this entitlement from 20 to 15 years.  When I wrote to complain, after several promptings I eventually received a letter back saying, "As you no longer contribute, etc. etc. we do not see why you should still be entitled to vote."  Not surprising that after even more promptings, I never received a reply to my, "Well in that case may we have our tax back please."  It makes me even more mad when I consider that we don't ask for anything in return.  Fully accept that we have to pay thirty quid to see an NHS GP if emergency treatment is required on rare visits back (plus another twenty quid for his signature on the BUPA form!).  Even reluctantly acknowledge that we probably won't see much, if anything, of the Grade III social security contributions we continue to pay.  C'est la vie.  M

[chicfille]

[quote]Chicfille, didn't the person you nominated to vote on your behalf get the forms? If they didn't you should officially register a complaint. We voted by this method for many many years without problems...[/quote]

I opted to vote by post, not by proxy, so my papers should have been sent to me in France. I will be registering a complaint today and it'll be interesting what they say: maybe blame La Poste (who could be at fault of course, wouldn't surprise me) or accept the blame and call a by-election just for me!

[Teamedup]

  ?????? You were given the option of postal voting when an overseas resident. We were not given that option  of voting ourselves and had to appoint someone to vote for us. The only option available for us was whether the nominee would go and vote directly for us at a polling station or make a postal vote. My brother always wanted the postal vote option.

[Ian 56]

[quote]?????? You were given the option of postal voting when an overseas resident. We were not given that option of voting ourselves and had to appoint someone to vote for us. The only option available for...[/quote]

?????? You were given the option of postal voting when an overseas resident.

I thought this was normal now. Certainly I was given the option of a postal vote or a vote by proxy when I filled in my last return. I chose to vote by post and the ballot paper and declaration arrived about ten days ago in plenty of time for it to be returned.

ian

[Teamedup]

From memory we didn't have this option. There again it was four years ago when we last voted, so obviously even longer ago than that when we sent in our last registration forms.