Levelling up to Universal Suffrage

Just image what might have happened if every British passport holder living anywhere in the world had been eligible to vote in the Brexit Referendum!

Overseas voting regulations

The then Conservative Government under the leadership of David Cameron had recognised that there was an incredible anomaly as those who had left the UK within the past 15 years and had been registered to vote in the UK whilst living there were eligible.

Those who had exceed 15 years or had been too young to vote when they left the UK and whose parents weren’t registered lost the right to vote (so much for universal suffrage!).

The actual limit is arbitrary and has changed from as little as seven years to more than 15 but it was Conservative policy that the time limit should be scrapped and it supported a private members bill to this effect.

Perhaps, David Cameron’s second biggest mistake was not pushing the law change through before the Brexit vote and it might also have saved the ongoing angst over Gibraltar.

Afterwards, nothing happened before the next elect ion and then the private members bill was talked out of Parliament when it was next raised.

Universal suffrage may return

All these years later, it appears that the Conservatives are going to give the vote back to every British passport holder and as part of the Levelling Up campaign it has arranged with a digital company,  Softwire to canvas overseas residents on their opinions on how the new system should work.

They have been contacting Conservative Groups around Europe inviting to apply to take part in a review which finishes next Tuesday December 19 and if you are not a member of the Conservative Party you might like to consider asking to be included whilst there is still time.

Follow the link

Simply click on the link below to find out more about what is being planned and who knows, for the next UK General Election which could well in 2024, you may be able to vote even if you have lived in Spain for more than 15 years, or have grown up here without any right to vote.

The only drawback is that you will most likely need to either appoint a proxy to vote for you or register by post, assuming that there is sufficient time to receive the voting papers and then return them.