So You Don't Want To Live Here But You Want A Say On Who's In Government, Right Oh!

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43172394
Does anyone else find this "votes for ex pats" cobras nonsensical?

[THECORBYLOON]

TTT, what do you mean by contributing? Do you mean only tax payers should vote, if so, do you mean income tax? How would that work? Would folk need to have worked for a set number of weeks within a past period to qualify?

What about those who pay no income tax but pay VAT? They contribute virtually every time they buy messages or use various services. How would it be monitored?

There are thousands of volunteers who carry out any number of activities which contribute toward society without making a payment. Would they be barred?

[shaneystar2]

My husband has no vote here only in local elections.His right to vote in his native country has been withdrawn too although he gets a pension from them on which he pays tax.He's paid his way here for over forty years and paid his taxes.I dare say he would get the vote if he applied for British citizenship but he doesn't want to and I don't see why he should.During that time we've been expats due to nature of his work and paying( that word again) tax, but we couldn't vote in those countries either.
The government will have to do some negotiating on expats voting rights but given their current record I don't hold out much hope for a solution any time soon :)

[ludwig]

As long as the government can change laws etc that affect these ex-pats, - and I assume that's the case - I'd say they should be able to have a say in choosing the govt.