Dear Friends,
Last week’s Queen’s speech was a great occasion for Conservatives Abroad as for many years we have campaigned, alongside others, to abolish the rule which prevents Britons who have lived abroad for more than 15 years from voting in UK General Elections.
We were very pleased that after strong recommendation by Conservatives Abroad the Conservative Party included in its 2015 Manifesto a pledge to get rid of the 15 year rule. Consequently as a result of these efforts we were delighted that this Parliament’s very first Queen’s Speech contains the Votes for Life Bill that will enact this change. You can read the notes about the Bill that accompanied the Queen’s Speech herehttp://www.conservativesabroad.org/news/victory
The Bill will also introduce measures to make both registration and voting easier for overseas voters.
This is where we need your help again. We want to share practical ideas with the Government during the passage of this Bill. Many Conservative Abroad members have already contacted me reporting difficulties in registering and voting. This is your chance to share your experiences and suggestions for improvements for us to raise with Ministers over the next few months.
The other piece of good news from the Queen’s Speech is that voting in the European Referendum will be based upon the General Election electoral register. This means that expats around the world will be able to have their say on our country’s future relationship with the European Union.
There is some uncertainty whether the 15 year rule will have been removed in time to allow all expats to vote in the Referendum. Conservatives Abroad will be raising this particular issue with Ministers during the passage of the Bill.
Please do let me have your thoughts on all these matters (by messaging on here or emailing [email protected]) so that we can represent your views within the Party. After many years when Labour and Liberal Democrats combined to deny expats their right to vote for life, it is wonderful that our new Conservative Government has moved so quickly to right this wrong.
Thank you again for your support which has helped us to work hard within the Conservative Party to make sure that Conservatives living abroad are listened to and their views are acted upon.
Best wishes
Heather Harper
Chairman