With the Brexit negotiations looming, holiday home owners and expats will be keeping a close eye on the upcoming general election. The victor will be responsible for negotiating all of our rights to live and work overseas. Find out who is eligible to vote, how to vote and some of the issues being raised.
Campaigning is under way in the UK General Election. Prime Minister May’s decision to head to the ballot box early was a surprise to many and due to the sudden nature of the announcement many long-term expats believe the decision will unfairly impact them.
There are some big issues on the table that will directly affect Brits impacted by this law.
Despite the Conservatives’ promise to scrap the law preventing British citizens from voting if they have lived overseas for more than 15 years, the government claims there is not enough time to implement the change before the election on 8th June. This will leave up to three million expats unable to have a say on who leads Britain into the upcoming Brexit negotiations – a process that will significantly impact their right to live and work overseas. Dave Spokes of the Expat Citizen Rights in the EU said, “the people most affected by the referendum were not allowed to vote in it, simply because they exercised their right to live in another country”. The same goes for the General Election.
There are some big issues on the table for this election that will directly affect the British abroad. The topic of unfreezing state pensions has been highlighted by many retired expats. Other proposed changes include the way assets are taxed depending on residency, the length of time required to be considered a non-resident for tax purposes and how UK property will be treated when it comes to inheritance tax.
The outcome of the general election will impact Brexit negotiations
Aside from the three million expats who will be unable to vote in June, however, there are even more who do have the right to vote from outside of the UK. Eligible UK nationals living abroad are able to choose the best way of voting depending on their circumstance: post, proxy or online.
If you are living abroad but considering moving back to the UK, download the UK Guide, produced by Property Guides in association with Rightmove
Online registrations must be complete by 22nd May (Click on this link to register to vote from abroad) to be in time for the election, but they are then valid for 12 months. Many eligible voters would have registered to vote in the referendum, which may still be valid. Voting by proxy involves nominating someone to vote on your behalf and is the surest way to vote; eliminating the risk of posted ballots not arriving on time. Postal votes must be received by 10pm on voting day to be counted.