Eligibility To Vote In Eu Referendum

[Nodger]

I'm a British citizen who moved to Ireland in December 2000. According to the Irish Times I'm eligible to vote in the European referendum, but the gov.uk site tells me I'm not, as I've lived outside the UK for more than 15 years. I thought this 15 year rule only applied to Irish citizens who had lived in the UK within the last 15 years (who are apparently, eligible). Is that right, does anybody know?

[bednobs]

im not sure if the "rules" have been announced Whent he sottish independence vote happened, only people living in scotland could vote

[EDDIE51]

You need to be registered to vote in the UK to vote in the EU referendum.
As you are no longer a UK resident you have no vote, you need a registered address in the UK and to be on the electoral register for that address.

[EDDIE51]

I am not quite correct and the Irish Times is partly correct.
There is as you say, a cut off point. UK citizens who have lived abroad for over 15 years can not vote. Those who have been abroad for under 15 years can vote
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32872211

[New Judge]

Statement from the government last year:

Long-term expats will have their right to vote in British and European elections restored. However, they will be unable to vote in the European referendum if they've lived abroad for more than 15 years.

The Votes for Life Bill, announced after the Queen's Speech, will scrap the 15-year rule that sees expats lose their votes in UK and European parliamentary elections once they have been out of the country for that long. This had been promised by the Conservatives in their manifesto. The rule affects around one million of the five million British citizens overseas.

However, Downing Street said it will remain in place for the referendum on Europe, due by the end of 2017 at the latest.

[retrocop]

Register as a Polish citizen. My 90 yr old Father in Law.a retired GP in Birmingham who was born,bred and studied at Edinburgh University Medical School could not get a vote in the Scottish referendum.
An Eastern European room maid in some Glasgow hotel who had ben in the country a month or two had the vote. What a farce.As a Brit you are seriously disadvantaged in your own "United Kingdom" at times. :-(

[sunny-dave]

All he has to do is live in the country which is having the vote, retro - that hardly seems unreasonable.

I don't see why some long-term, expat pensioner in shagaluf should have a vote on the future of my country if he can't even be ärsed to live here.

[EDDIE51]

The vote was for people who live in Scotland Retro. The maid was an EU citizen, resident in Scotland so was able to vote. Your father in law was resident in England so was not able to vote. I know a lot of 'Scots'who live south of the border none of them could vote either.

[retrocop]

Well of course. That is why I am saying the referendum vote is a farce.
My Scottish F.I.L. has more reason for concern on the future of his country of birth than a Polish room made who had probably have no clue as to the consequences of the vote afforded her.He lived in the UK. He wanted his country of birth to remain in the UK so he and other ex pat Scots should of been allowed the vote.Thank God the correct decision prevailed without his vote.

[Nodger]

Thanks, folks, it doesn't look good.

Sunny - ahem, I'm actually a working woman in Ireland, not an ex-pat pensioner. My country is still the UK, despite where I live, and I care about the future of my family who still live there. Also, I think there are ramifications to the vote that extend far beyond the British shores. But thank you anyway.

[jno]

your family who still live in the UK can vote on their own behalf, Nodger. But I cant' see any special reason why you should be able to do so - presumably you can vote in Irish elections?

[EDDIE51]

retrocop, I can understand the argument , but if we were to accept it, that it raises a lot of practical problems. How do you trace ,contact all the ex-pat Scots who do no longer live there? How long do we go back, a year 10 years 50 years? . Would a person who was born in Scotland but left as a child count?,do they only get a vote if they left as an adult or if they retired 'south of the border'?
In the case of Scotland I think there are more people who consider themselves 'Scots' but do not live there ,than there are 'resident Scots'
I think it was/ is as much the practical problems as anything that decide who votes in a referendum.You have to draw a line and work from it.

[Old_Geezer]

Admittedly not applicable for Ireland SD but maybe the reason someone is opting not to presently live here is *because* we're in the EU and are waiting for the day we exit so that they feel that they can return.