The right to vote in the UK after 15 years

Information and questions about the Law in Spain and Andalucia.
Paddy Pumpkin
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Re: The right to vote in the UK after 15 years

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Thu May 13, 2021 4:28 pm

Wicksey wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 3:06 pm
Paddy Pumpkin wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 2:17 pm In reply to several comments above

So with all of the above we have strong connections to 9 countries through either paying tax, having a passport, owning property, having residency or receiving a state pension.

Is it fair that we get the right to vote in all those countries? After all we have a vested interest in what happens in each of them.

]I don't have a Spanish passport so have no right to vote here. So am totally without a vote at present.
Yes but I am a British citizen, born and bred, and I have not given that up (nor do I have citizenship anywhere else) and like Lavanda, we have British government pensions that are controlled and taxed by the UK, not here. I cannot see what is wrong with still having a say if I feel so inclined. Many expats have paid into the UK tax system all their lives before retiring here, and some do return to the UK (most of my friends have over the years despite them saying they never would).
I am not really sure which nationality I identify with of my 3 passports all of which I acquired at birth through my parents, so since I have an identity crisis then I shouldn't have a vote anywhere?

I also have a UK passport which I have not given up (I just let it expire last time but will renew it should I need it). I will be entitled to a state pension from the UK and I lived in the in the UK on and off for a total of 18 years, 12 of which were tax paying working years.

I will also have a state pension from another EU country that I lived in. I pay taxes in the UK, Spain and 2 other EU countries. I also paid tax in a country in Asia because I saved into their state pension when I lived there and can start to take my pension there at 55.

All of the above is without representation in those countries. I have no say on tax or pension policy or indeed any other matter in those countries

Should I be entitled to vote in all those countries? If everyone who pays taxes in the UK gets a vote then what about people who invest in the UK but never lived there, should they be entitled to vote?

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Re: The right to vote in the UK after 15 years

Postby Manchesteral » Thu May 13, 2021 6:04 pm

Paddy Pumpkin wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 2:17 pm In reply to several comments above

I have 3 passports and my other half has 2. Between both of us we pay taxes in 6 countries. We will both receive state pensions from rights earned in 2 countries (so 3 countries between the two of us) We own properties in 4 countries and that will most likely increase to 6 with inheritances we will receive from our parents (I am not counting chickens though). We also have permanent residency rights in another country.

So with all of the above we have strong connections to 9 countries through either paying tax, having a passport, owning property, having residency or receiving a state pension.

Is it fair that we get the right to vote in all those countries? After all we have a vested interest in what happens in each of them.

]I don't have a Spanish passport so have no right to vote here. So am totally without a vote at present.

I have strong financial/business ties to Sweden, Finland, Hong Kong and U K, I have both U K and Finnish citizenship but I certainly don't expect to have a say in the running of any of those countries, to be honest at my age (70) I really don't care !!

Lavanda
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Re: The right to vote in the UK after 15 years

Postby Lavanda » Thu May 13, 2021 6:30 pm

I think this is a situation where, if British people living abroad people want to, they will be able to vote in the UK. It's a choice. Why is anyone putting a case for people not having a choice? People can make up their own mind based on their own situation and own judgments about whether it is 'right or wrong'. (Same as to be vaccinated, or not, but I'm not going off topic. Choice is GOOD.)

Paddy Pumpkin
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Re: The right to vote in the UK after 15 years

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Thu May 13, 2021 7:42 pm

Yes choice is good....but for who(m)

I have a UK passport. So now I can vote in the UK. If any political party puts forward a policy that triples the state pension and removes all tax on investment and rental income they get my vote.

This can be paid for by setting benefits to zero, stops funding the NHS and doubles taxes on PAYE workers.

Crazy economic policy but I don't care as I don't live there. We could go on ad infinitum with examples and of course I am displaying an extreme but I really don't understand why I get a vote in a country by virtue of one of my parents being a citizen. If my parent was a citizen of the UK then I wouldn't have been entitled to the passport and hence the vote even though I contributed taxes and will receive a pension from the UK.

Ironically I didn't get to vote for the party that wants to bring in this change in the law to allow me to vote. So if any party brings in a policy to remove this right....they will get my vote.

Superplonk
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Re: The right to vote in the UK after 15 years

Postby Superplonk » Fri May 14, 2021 9:22 am

Paddy Pumpkin: sometimes you just have to accept that most people aren't like you.

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Wicksey
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Re: The right to vote in the UK after 15 years

Postby Wicksey » Fri May 14, 2021 9:24 am

Superplonk wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:22 am Paddy Pumpkin: sometimes you just have to accept that most people aren't like you.
:clap:

katy
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Re: The right to vote in the UK after 15 years

Postby katy » Sat May 15, 2021 6:19 pm

I have mixed feelings. I agree with Gerry, many still have close contacts with the UK. Although I don't think the expat vote would make a difference anyway. Americans are still allowed to vote.

Paddy Pumpkin
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Re: The right to vote in the UK after 15 years

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Sat May 15, 2021 10:04 pm

It makes such a difference that in some countries the politicians canvas abroad.

There have been Turkish political rallies in Holland. In Poland 2 constituencies are so full of non resident voters that the locals have complained they have no say in who get elected.


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