James Jackson is banned from voting in UK parliamentary elections but is allowed to stand as a MP, which is exactly what this Briton is going to do.
Jackson lives in France and is to contest the Uxbridge & South Ruislip seat which also is being contested by Boris Johnson, the current Mayor of London.
Jackson’s pre-election campaign will focus on allowing British citizens who live overseas the right to vote in their own country.
Currently after 15 years overseas, Britons can no longer vote unless they are in the armed forces or work in Britsh cousulates or embassies.
Mr Jackson left the UK in 1996 to work in the Falkland Islands and then retired to France, said, “Due to the law preventing Britons who have lived abroad for more than 15 years from voting in elections, I, along with thousands of others, am disenfranchised.
“Strangely, there is nothing in law that prevents me standing as a parliamentary candidate.
“This Kafkaesque situation means that, theoretically, I could win a parliamentary seat and take my place in the House of Commons, despite living abroad and not having a vote.”
The Electoral Commission states that there currently are 5.5 million Britons living overseas with only 20,000 registered to vote.
Mr Jackson said of those who are banned from voting, “The majority of these disenfranchised Britons have strong links to their country. They hold British passports, have UK bank accounts and debit cards, many pay taxes on their income from UK sources, receive UK state pensions, buy from UK outlets on the internet and have relatives and friends in the UK.
“They can easily be identified by N.I. number, passport number or Inland Revenue records. They are not hidden people of no importance who have no links or pride in being British.”
Jackson, formerly of Colwyn Bay, North Wales, worked as treasurer of the former Colwyn Borough Council before becoming the auditor-treasurer for the Falkland Islands Government.
He said he chose Uxbridge & South Ruislip so he could run against Boris Johnson who supports giving expatriates the right to vote in the UK even after 15 years overseas.
