So Brits who live abroad can now vote in the General Election.

I don't doubt that the rules for expat students have become even more stringent since pesky Brexit, but I know that even 20+ years ago our eldest at 18 was not in the same boat as his peers when entering university. There was no problem accessing the BSc. course, the tricky bit was the finance because we, his parents, had no fixed UK abode on the day his studies commenced. We had sold our UK properties and invested the proceeds abroad, and even had difficulty keeping our bank accounts because we couldn't provide an address. I can't remember all the details back then, and we did get off reasonably lightly thanks to an astute accountant, but it still boils down to the fact that if you choose to go and live abroad you make your own bed and you have to lie in it. No moaning, no complaining about this, that or the other. It's only worth campaigning for something if it will make a difference, and I personally think that expats getting a vote back home will have no great bearing on UK politics.

Interestingly when DS came to do his MSc. course afterwards there wasn't half the palava or inquisition, maybe because they wanted his brain!!
And as an aside, ironically his engineering dissertation was on a French hydro electric power station where we lived, and this later became used as a potential prototype for a UK project!
Brexit is a separate issue.

Sorry, that's a bit of a long post, especially for a Sunday morning, but if anything it shows that hoop jumping has always been around for everyone. Maybe it would be nice to think that fairness for everyone could now also be implemented.

Joseann

^Looking to the future, it’s the youngest people who will make the difference. If our young people come back to university, they are more likely to stay and add to British life through their jobs and taxes^.
Yes, I find it strange that "inactive" expat retirees aren't nodding in agreement.

As a migrant British citizen abroad I am in favour of protecting the rights of all ages. I would have thought that went without saying. I very much doubt you would find many people who disagreed about the importance of the right to vote and agreed with the imposition of student fees. Brexit is not a separate issue for the potential British students living in Europe who will be seriously disadvantaged when the protection negotiated for them ends in 2027.
I am also concerned about British universities losing so much income from overseas students and the fact that many UK students are suffering from crippling rises in the cost of living, disadvantaging poorer families.
Fairness for everyone almost inevitably involves campaigning.

So Mamie, does your voting right need to be granted annually or does it have an open time scale? Or indefinitely until the next change comes along?

I do appreciate that you Mamie are in favour of protecting the rights of all ages, but I wish there were less of the NIMBY attitude amongst expat retirees in general.
As I said before, I am not on expat forums because I no longer reside abroad, and to be honest a lot of the time they don't want to hear comparisons that their new country isn't perfect.

Joseann

So Mamie, does your voting right need to be granted annually or does it have an open time scale? Or indefinitely until the next change comes along?

We renew it annually, but maintain the right until legislation change. As this change has been under discussion and going through parliamentary legislation for so many years, it is hard to see why people would suddenly start to object, when they have had plenty of time to do so before it became law.
As you will know the citizens of many other countries, (including France), keep their votes for life. I am not sure why a UK government would wish to be out of line.

👍

Joseann

I do appreciate that you Mamie are in favour of protecting the rights of all ages, but I wish there were less of the NIMBY attitude amongst expat retirees in general.
As I said before, I am not on expat forums because I no longer reside abroad, and to be honest a lot of the time they don't want to hear comparisons that their new country isn't perfect.

I can't speak for migrant retirees in general, only the people I know and they certainly don't have those attitudes. There are very few forums left now.

Fair point. But just as a silly example, I've heard comments moaning about how unheathily packed in and crowded the UK is. What they don't mention is that France has 3 times the space!!

Joseann

Fair point. But just as a silly example, I've heard comments moaning about how unheathily packed in and crowded the UK is. What they don't mention is that France has 3 times the space!!

It is about what is acatually said though isn't it? When I come to the UK it feels very crowded, is not the same as France is better than the UK because it is not as crowded; which is just daft.

dogsmother

I think you pay your taxes and you are entitled to vote and have your say. If not then not really. Pay more attention to the place where have chosen to live and work. Embrace what you have, not what have chosen to leave behind.

Agree with you; if you don't live here you should not vote. Different for the forces though, they should still get to vote and people working overseas for a short term.

I notice that students who do not live in Scotland pay for university education while Scottish students get their uni education free. Another anomaly.