UK citizens living in the EU for over 15 years currently have no right to vote in this referendum even though the outcome will directly impact our lives. This is not democracy.
If you feel strongly about this, you might want to sign this petition. Ironically you need a UK post code ...
I tell a lie, it's just appeared, so it's probably going to be there twice!
Just signed it using a vpn and old UK postcode and it worked. iI tried to share it on Facebook but it didn't show up.
Shirley, we do have a UK IP address, so it did take it.
This petition requires to put in a valid UK postcode, which is absurd as it is aimed at those who have left the UK more than 15 years ago.
I have been in touch and asked them to amend this, but don’t hold out much hope.
You could always use your last address or that of a friend or family.
It would appear from the latest information from the Connexion newspaper that the intention is to pass the act this session. It then becomes a matter of timing as to whether it can take effect from a date before the referendum.
If there's a couple of million of us living in Europe, many of us property owners, then there's several million people still in the UK who are our relatives, and some are due to inherit. If the UK leaves the EU and we lose our rights of residency, and if many of us find we have to return to the UK, having sold our houses at a low price because of the consequent glut, or abandoning them, our UK relatives might prefer we stay where we are as legal EU residents. No? At the very least our potential status ought to be clearer so that voters can add this aspect to their considerations if they want to.
The 15 year rule is going to be repealed - but NOT for the EU referendum. Personally, I think this is wrong. A right to vote in a general election is one thing, but this vote which directly affects all UK nationals living in the EU for both over and under 15 years is another.
I got round the postcode problem by using parliament's postcode SW1A 0AA which he hopes will be acceptable.
Is it Democracy, or is it the government influencing the outcome. Only a part of my ancestory is Scottish. I did not have a vote in the Scotland referendum.
According to Wikipedia England has ten times as many people, is about one third larger, the per capita GDP is $4000 greater
For interest: the population of France is about 25% greater than England, France is about four times larger, the per capita GDP of France is $41,000 whilst England is £50,000.
A common underlying sub theme amongst many of the SurviveFrance Networks postings that I have read is the relative position we British Nationals with homes in France feel.
There is an inbalance of power (I can still hear De Gualle saying "Non") and yet the espoused goal of the Europaen Union is "Liberté, égalité, fraternité".
There is time to lobby our MEPs , and hence the UK political parties.
You might find http://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2015/apr/02/democracy-psychology-idiots-election an interesting perspective.
For myself I would like to be given the full facts, not the carefully censored palp" I welcome commentary on those facts. I do not welcome threats from industrialist whose companies avoid paying tax. This forum could be the start to re-establish the democratic principle of Lincoln;s Gettysburg address "government of the people, by the people, for the people"
I think you will find that this is one of the bills that the government is putting before parliament as in the Queen’s speech of the other day.
I've printed out the paper he recommends at the bottom of the page if we can't use the UK postcode we had because we've been here more than 15 years.
The current government promised to lift the 15 year limit if elected - they were and they should. Perhaps all should contact their MP as well (provided of course that you agree with his (her) stance on membership of the EU).
Totally agree Carol. As the vast majority of us are still paying tax in the UK, and as long as we are paying tax in the UK, we should be allowed to participate.