epetition - MPs for UK Expats

[NickP]

[quote user="powerdesal"]NickP wrote the following post at 16/01/2014 20:09: I don't understand this, I always thought that ex-pats were only abroad for working purposes? So they can still vote in the UK. Nick, I was an expat working abroad for some 20 years, no voting rights either in UK or in the country in which I worked. I am now an ex-expat - an immigrant / emigrant depending on which side you consider.[/quote]

PD I worked abroad for most of my life and mainly for "foreign " companies and I always voted when I went home on leave, so why your experience is any different to mine I can't explain. Maybe you never went home, but didn't you still qualify under the 15 year rule? I do not consider people who move to another country and take up residence there permanently to be ex-pats, hence my comment on "ex-pats".

[NickP]

nomoss wrote" I've never heard of that one. Please explain. - I think second home owners should pay a lot more for the privilege than those who actually live in their houses, so I hope you do so. "

I do, although to rain on your parade it's not a lot, it's just I believe a small administration charge, so happily I can afford it and am quite happy about the situation, but then unlike you I'm not asking for special treatment, I'm quite happy to accept the situation that I knew was in place when I bought my holiday home. By the way your true colours are starting to show.

[Rabbie]

[quote user="nomoss"][quote user="Rabbie"]

Until we know the number of voters for each ex-pat MP it is not possible to calculate the costs but they would be considerable at least £70,000 in salary for the MP and a similar amount for this/her state funded staff plus expenses which we know are often large. There would also be election expenses, trips to/from their constituency and the actual costs of providing office space for them. It soon adds up to a considerable sum. I think, Nomoss, you may be making a larger commitment than you realise.[/quote]

 

I don't think that the amount per individual would be crippling if even a only small percentage of UK overseas residents elected to vote and contribute.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/exclusive-millions-of-expat-votes-will-be-wooed-for-2015-election-8780904.html

 

 

[/quote]Whatever the rights and wrongs of having MPs for expats it would not be right to link the right to vote to the ability to pay. The right to Vote should not be linked to making a payment

[nomoss]

[quote user="Rabbie"][quote user="nomoss"][quote user="Rabbie"]

Until we know the number of voters for each ex-pat MP it is not possible to calculate the costs but they would be considerable at least £70,000 in salary for the MP and a similar amount for this/her state funded staff plus expenses which we know are often large. There would also be election expenses, trips to/from their constituency and the actual costs of providing office space for them. It soon adds up to a considerable sum. I think, Nomoss, you may be making a larger commitment than you realise.[/quote]

 

I don't think that the amount per individual would be crippling if even a only small percentage of UK overseas residents elected to vote and contribute.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/exclusive-millions-of-expat-votes-will-be-wooed-for-2015-election-8780904.html

 

 

[/quote]Whatever the rights and wrongs of having MPs for expats it would not be right to link the right to vote to the ability to pay. The right to Vote should not be linked to making a payment[/quote]

 

But surely the rich b*****ds who live in foreign countries should be made to pay.

 

 

[YCCMB]

According to Norman, you're all being taxed to the hilt already.

[nomoss]

Deleted. Not worth the effort.

 

 

[YCCMB]

Snigger[:D]

[NormanH]

Perhaps I introduced a red herring in talking about taxes, although I do feel I should not be denied a say in how my money is spent.

The larger point I made about the independence of Nationality and Citizenship on the one hand and residence on the other has not been answered as far as I can see.

Are people born and brought up in Commonwealth countries more deserving of the vote simply by fact of residence?

[YCCMB]

Well, I'm married to someone born in a Commonwealth country and brought up as a small child in another. He's lived in the UK for over fifty years and now has a British passport, but even without one I doubt he would even want to vote anywhere other than the UK. He wasn't automatically entitled to that British passport, BTW, despite having a British mother.

I think your red herring also comes into play with this argument, however, Norman, as if you're a Commonwealth citizen with leave to remain in the UK you're quite often working here, which implies you're paying taxes, which, using your earlier argument, entitles you to representation.