A Parliamentary Cross-Party Group comprising Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Baroness Greengross, Lord Lexden, Professor Lord Norton (Chair), Professor Lord Parekh, and Lord Tyler have produced a report on Overseas voting.
There are estimated to be 5.6 million British nationals living abroad, with some 3 million believed to be eligible to register to vote.
At the end of 2011, the number registered to vote in UK parliamentary elections was 23,366. A registration rate of under 1 per cent would be deemed totally unacceptable within the UK. The problem of under-registration is significant, but largely neglected.
The cross-party group will be pursuing its recommendations with Government.
The report is also designed to raise public awareness of the scale of disenfranchisement among British nationals and the need to tackle the problem in order to ensure that we have a healthy democracy. In terms of elections, expatriates are largely hidden from view. They deserve to be seen as an integral, and valued, part of the British electoral system.
It would greatly help the Votes for Expat Brits campaign team, if you will read this report and send back your views on its contents and conclusions.
Many thanks,
Brian Cave
E: lefourquet@gmail.com
W: www.votes-for-expat-brits.com | www.votes-for-expat-brits-blog.com
