As has been noted above many of us still get most of if not all of our income from the UK and have at least an ongoing interest in exchange rates if nothing else, In addition many people still own property there and pay tax in the UK, as of course do those with government pensions. Also, most non-UK residents (who don’t call themselves ‘ex-pats’ cos it harks back to days of the Empire - sundowners on the veldt and punkah wallahs etc) would have voted against Brexit if allowed, so are less likely to vote for the party that caused it. Lastly, it’s not really gerrymandering, because votes would be scattered across hundreds of different constituencies.
However, if you want a real world argument for so-called ‘gerrymandering’ resulting in many voting Tory, surely that would be continuing the so-called ‘triple lock’ State pension promise - and both major parties are unwilling to commit either way on that one.
Even if you put the fact that IH is double taxation to one side, with property price inflation at insane levels in the UK there is more & more likelihood that the estate of someone with very little cash in the bank & a modest long term owned property will fall into inheritance tax which is very unfair on their beneficiaries.
BTW I will certainly never vote for anything to do with the Tories, in case you were wondering.
I’d suggest it’s an argument rather than a fact, given that a significant amount of it comes from unearned asset inflation.
Also, given that the beneficiaries have done even less to earn it, I don’t see how it’s unfair to them.
Yes if we could vote here where we live and pay taxes, albeit a minimum period of residence might be required for eligibility, this would feel a lot better.
How about not being able to vote where we live, ie. retaining the status quo, but not paying taxes - maybe a tad irresponsible, but a tempting alternative…
If you vote, you need to be here. It’s like Croydon residents voting in Bristol local elections I admire and respect your decision to live in France, but you made your decision and you’ve 15 years of enfranchisement. You’ve no moral right to influence my life in the UK.
It’s not really about that. You could vote for a UK party that implements wealth tax and not be affected. Well done though for not voting Tory. We’re on the same page there.
I have every right to vote, moral or not.
It is not just your life that is being affected by my vote, but our financial and, possibly other things too if this ultra right wing government gets another bee in its bonnet.
Perhaps you do not know but overseas UK citizens living in France had their winter fuel payments stolen from them by Iain Duncan Smith when he included all the Caribbean and Indian Ocean islands in the weather map of France to prove that we were a warm winter country and did not qualify for the payment.
If you lived in the extremely warm toe of Italy you did,
Because they have no other far away warm islands to add to their meteorological data.
That is why need representation, plus many have families who need government services in their daily lives and that concerns us too.
I feel that includes enough situations to cover my, and other EU voters, to continue voting in UK elections.
Quite frankly after reading your posts, I don’t consider your moral outrage to be worth a damn and will continue voting for the concerns of ourselves, our UK family and other UK citizens living in the EU and, especially, France.
Your opinion is not worth the screen it is tapped out on.
Quite right too…The thought that they can come to take one’s children away to put in the meat grinder when one has not been able to prevent it…not at local level, government level and european government level is abhorrent. Hmm?
you daft bat… I’ll look askance at steak haché in future…
It’s the knowledge that one cannot even try to prevent “whatever” is being proposed in UK … stuff which might well adversely affect friends and family there… (and, yes, I do need my UK pension, pretty please…).
Perhaps strangely to some… I have more faith in French politics/government… so whilst not feeling happy about now being unable to vote at any level here… I am slightly more relaxed about it, since I have been on the receiving end of their generosity and fairness on various matters in recent years (despite Brexit).
Good for you. Carry on voting for your own selfish financial interests, as you’ve so eloquently explained, without actually having to live with your choices. Pathetic.
