Within the last few days (May 7th 2015) I have received
copies of complaints from
people about the non-reception of voting papers from as far
apart as California,
Massachusetts, Norway,
and of course France
and Spain.
The forum site SFN
is loaded with more. Why
do people want
to vote? The passion to do so is clear. Yet
so many politicians in the UK
and so many residents there
say ‘You
have left the country – you don’t deserve to vote.’
A number of those
who write to me
are young and clearly intelligent.
They
have the desire to see that Britain
is a country of which they can be proud.
Oddly that archaic institution, The Royal Family, is the
focus of so
much of this pride. At a
dinner of
expats the other day, most of whom could not vote because like
me we left the
UK over 15 years ago, the meal was interrupted with the cry
‘It’s a girl!’ and
glasses were raised to Kate and her baby.
Why cannot the idiots at home realise that we, the
citizens abroad, are
all ambassadors of the British Nation! It
is we who foster the good will of the country. The ‘country?’ whatever that is –
arises from the
stupid confusion in the use of words. We
are not a country – hills and towns, a little offshore set of
islands. We are a Nation
- a people of a common culture.
Just as the French are a Nation with a shared
culture. And as the French passionately hold onto that culture
wherever they
live so do the British. Whatever
a
Nation’s Government does in the world affects each and every
citizen. The Government
acts in the name of ALL
the citizens. We are
today no longer ‘subjects’
of that Royal Institution that we so much respect but ‘citizens’
with a shared
interest in the welfare of us
all.
Naturally, many of
us have
material interests for why citizens abroad want a say in the
development of the
UK.
All of us, young and
retired, may wish or need
to return. We need a
sound NHS and all
the social support systems to be good.
For many, our income is based in the UK.
Many are taxed in the UK.
Most of us, of all ages, have family at ‘home’ and we have a
care for them, for
their welfare and education. Our lives depend on treaties
between the States –
A BREXIT could be a disaster.
For all these
reasons we desire
the vote. But do you get
the impression,
as I do, that most Parties seek power for their own interest
rather than the
interest of the voter?
I hope that is a
false impression,
we need the Party in power to act with thoughts for the citizens
everywhere.
Yet have you heard any of them during this campaign utter a word
of concern for
the Citizen abroad? – We may be expatriates (out of the
homeland), but by no
means are we ex-patriots.
Brian Cave, a leading campaigner in the team for UK expat rights whose website is www.votes-for-expat-brits.com, explains why it is important to him to be able to vote even though he has lived abroad for many years
WITHIN the last few days I have received copies of complaints from people about the non-reception of voting papers from as far apart as California, Massachusetts, Norway and, of course, France and Spain.
The Connexion and expat forums have had even more.
So, why do people who no longer live in the UK still want to vote? The passion to do so is clear. Yet so many politicians in the UK and so many residents there say “You have left the country – you don’t deserve to vote.”
A number of those who write to me are young and clearly intelligent. They have the desire to see that Britain is a country of which they can be proud. Oddly, that archaic institution the Royal Family is the focus of so much of this pride.
At a recent dinner of expats, most of whom could not vote because like me we left the UK over 15 years ago, the meal was interrupted with the cry ‘It’s a girl!’ and glasses were raised to Kate and her baby.
Why cannot those at home realise that we, the citizens abroad, are all ambassadors of the British nation? It is we who foster the goodwill of the country.
The ‘country?’ - whatever that is. We are not a country – hills and towns, a little offshore set of islands. We are a nation - a people of a common culture. Just as the French are a nation with a shared culture. And as the French passionately hold on to that culture wherever they live so do the British.
Whatever a nation’s government does in the world affects each and every citizen. The government acts in the name of ALL the citizens.
We are today no longer ‘subjects’ of that Royal Institution that we so much respect but ‘citizens’ with a shared interest in the welfare of us all.
Naturally, many of us have material interests as to why citizens abroad want a say in the development of the UK. All of us, young and retired, may wish or need to return.
We need a sound NHS and for all the social support systems to be good. For many, our income is based in the UK. Many are taxed in the UK.
Most of us, of all ages, have family at ‘home’ and we care for them, for their welfare and education. Our lives depend on treaties between the States – a BREXIT could be a disaster.
For all these reasons we desire the vote. But do you get the impression, as I do, that most parties seek power for their own interest rather than the interest of the voter?
I hope that is a false impression, we need the party in power to act with thoughts for the citizens everywhere.
Yet have you heard any of them during this campaign utter a word of concern for the citizen abroad?
We may be expatriates (‘out of the homeland’), but by no means are we ex-patriots.
- See more at: http://www.connexionfrance.com/campaigner-Brian-Cave-expat-rights-vote-election-16926-view-article.html#sthash.Ebi4IyaW.dpuf
WITHIN the last few days I have received copies of complaints from people about the non-reception of voting papers from as far apart as California, Massachusetts, Norway and, of course, France and Spain.
The Connexion and expat forums have had even more.
So, why do people who no longer live in the UK still want to vote? The passion to do so is clear. Yet so many politicians in the UK and so many residents there say “You have left the country – you don’t deserve to vote.”
A number of those who write to me are young and clearly intelligent. They have the desire to see that Britain is a country of which they can be proud. Oddly, that archaic institution the Royal Family is the focus of so much of this pride.
At a recent dinner of expats, most of whom could not vote because like me we left the UK over 15 years ago, the meal was interrupted with the cry ‘It’s a girl!’ and glasses were raised to Kate and her baby.
Why cannot those at home realise that we, the citizens abroad, are all ambassadors of the British nation? It is we who foster the goodwill of the country.
The ‘country?’ - whatever that is. We are not a country – hills and towns, a little offshore set of islands. We are a nation - a people of a common culture. Just as the French are a nation with a shared culture. And as the French passionately hold on to that culture wherever they live so do the British.
Whatever a nation’s government does in the world affects each and every citizen. The government acts in the name of ALL the citizens.
We are today no longer ‘subjects’ of that Royal Institution that we so much respect but ‘citizens’ with a shared interest in the welfare of us all.
Naturally, many of us have material interests as to why citizens abroad want a say in the development of the UK. All of us, young and retired, may wish or need to return.
We need a sound NHS and for all the social support systems to be good. For many, our income is based in the UK. Many are taxed in the UK.
Most of us, of all ages, have family at ‘home’ and we care for them, for their welfare and education. Our lives depend on treaties between the States – a BREXIT could be a disaster.
For all these reasons we desire the vote. But do you get the impression, as I do, that most parties seek power for their own interest rather than the interest of the voter?
I hope that is a false impression, we need the party in power to act with thoughts for the citizens everywhere.
Yet have you heard any of them during this campaign utter a word of concern for the citizen abroad?
We may be expatriates (‘out of the homeland’), but by no means are we ex-patriots.
- See more at: http://www.connexionfrance.com/campaigner-Brian-Cave-expat-rights-vote-election-16926-view-article.html#sthash.Ebi4IyaW.dpuf
Brian Cave, a leading campaigner in the team for UK expat rights whose website is www.votes-for-expat-brits.com, explains why it is important to him to be able to vote even though he has lived abroad for many years
WITHIN the last few days I have received copies of complaints from people about the non-reception of voting papers from as far apart as California, Massachusetts, Norway and, of course, France and Spain.
The Connexion and expat forums have had even more.
So, why do people who no longer live in the UK still want to vote? The passion to do so is clear. Yet so many politicians in the UK and so many residents there say “You have left the country – you don’t deserve to vote.”
A number of those who write to me are young and clearly intelligent. They have the desire to see that Britain is a country of which they can be proud. Oddly, that archaic institution the Royal Family is the focus of so much of this pride.
At a recent dinner of expats, most of whom could not vote because like me we left the UK over 15 years ago, the meal was interrupted with the cry ‘It’s a girl!’ and glasses were raised to Kate and her baby.
Why cannot those at home realise that we, the citizens abroad, are all ambassadors of the British nation? It is we who foster the goodwill of the country.
The ‘country?’ - whatever that is. We are not a country – hills and towns, a little offshore set of islands. We are a nation - a people of a common culture. Just as the French are a nation with a shared culture. And as the French passionately hold on to that culture wherever they live so do the British.
Whatever a nation’s government does in the world affects each and every citizen. The government acts in the name of ALL the citizens.
We are today no longer ‘subjects’ of that Royal Institution that we so much respect but ‘citizens’ with a shared interest in the welfare of us all.
Naturally, many of us have material interests as to why citizens abroad want a say in the development of the UK. All of us, young and retired, may wish or need to return.
We need a sound NHS and for all the social support systems to be good. For many, our income is based in the UK. Many are taxed in the UK.
Most of us, of all ages, have family at ‘home’ and we care for them, for their welfare and education. Our lives depend on treaties between the States – a BREXIT could be a disaster.
For all these reasons we desire the vote. But do you get the impression, as I do, that most parties seek power for their own interest rather than the interest of the voter?
I hope that is a false impression, we need the party in power to act with thoughts for the citizens everywhere.
Yet have you heard any of them during this campaign utter a word of concern for the citizen abroad?
We may be expatriates (‘out of the homeland’), but by no means are we ex-patriots.
- See more at: http://www.connexionfrance.com/campaigner-Brian-Cave-expat-rights-vote-election-16926-view-article.html#sthash.Ebi4IyaW.dpuf
WITHIN the last few days I have received copies of complaints from people about the non-reception of voting papers from as far apart as California, Massachusetts, Norway and, of course, France and Spain.
The Connexion and expat forums have had even more.
So, why do people who no longer live in the UK still want to vote? The passion to do so is clear. Yet so many politicians in the UK and so many residents there say “You have left the country – you don’t deserve to vote.”
A number of those who write to me are young and clearly intelligent. They have the desire to see that Britain is a country of which they can be proud. Oddly, that archaic institution the Royal Family is the focus of so much of this pride.
At a recent dinner of expats, most of whom could not vote because like me we left the UK over 15 years ago, the meal was interrupted with the cry ‘It’s a girl!’ and glasses were raised to Kate and her baby.
Why cannot those at home realise that we, the citizens abroad, are all ambassadors of the British nation? It is we who foster the goodwill of the country.
The ‘country?’ - whatever that is. We are not a country – hills and towns, a little offshore set of islands. We are a nation - a people of a common culture. Just as the French are a nation with a shared culture. And as the French passionately hold on to that culture wherever they live so do the British.
Whatever a nation’s government does in the world affects each and every citizen. The government acts in the name of ALL the citizens.
We are today no longer ‘subjects’ of that Royal Institution that we so much respect but ‘citizens’ with a shared interest in the welfare of us all.
Naturally, many of us have material interests as to why citizens abroad want a say in the development of the UK. All of us, young and retired, may wish or need to return.
We need a sound NHS and for all the social support systems to be good. For many, our income is based in the UK. Many are taxed in the UK.
Most of us, of all ages, have family at ‘home’ and we care for them, for their welfare and education. Our lives depend on treaties between the States – a BREXIT could be a disaster.
For all these reasons we desire the vote. But do you get the impression, as I do, that most parties seek power for their own interest rather than the interest of the voter?
I hope that is a false impression, we need the party in power to act with thoughts for the citizens everywhere.
Yet have you heard any of them during this campaign utter a word of concern for the citizen abroad?
We may be expatriates (‘out of the homeland’), but by no means are we ex-patriots.
- See more at: http://www.connexionfrance.com/campaigner-Brian-Cave-expat-rights-vote-election-16926-view-article.html#sthash.Ebi4IyaW.dpuf
