British Expats In Spain ‘Frustrated’ As 15 Year Rule Bars Them From Vote

THOUSANDS of British expat are excluded from voting in the 2019 election, the frustration is echoed in Spain as in many other countries.

According to the International Investment, some 700,000-plus British expats have been barred from voting in the forthcoming general election which takes place tomorrow (Thursday) because of a controversial law that states Britons lose their right to vote in UK elections after 15 years overseas.

Carrie Frais, a British expat who has been a resident in Barcelona since 2003 has expressed her frustration pointing the political limbo she, as many others, is in. Unable to vote in the UK and unable to vote in Spanish elections either.

She admits that she had her chance to vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum, but, as a lot of people wasn’t aware of the importance of of the 2016 referendum vote.

Promises from the Conservatives to scrap the rule and give every British expat the same voting rights and even a Labour push to offer a vote to European Union nationals in the UK have failed to come to fruition.

Currently the rules only allow expats registered in the constituency where they last lived to vote in the December 12 poll, providing they have spent less than 15 years as a British expat. Anyone who has spent longer abroad is barred from voting.

Ironically many Expats’ futures hang in the balance with this general election, especially if there is a no-deal Brexit, which remains a slight yet dangerous possibility, it is likely that Expat’s pensions, insurance and healthcare will be adversely affected overnight.

A divided UK will go to the polls for the third time in four years tomorrow, December 12, the first winter election since 1923.