Support for votes for life Bill
CAMPAIGNERS have welcomed the progress made to secure votes for life for British expats.
The Costa Blanca Branch of Labour International and the Valencia-based pressure group Bremain in Spain both commented this week on the second reading of the Overseas Electors Bill 2017-19, which aims to restore a vote in UK general elections to Britons who have lived overseas for more than 15 years.
Lorraine Hardy, secretary of Labour International’s coordinating committee and a Costa Blanca branch member, said Labour MP for Ilford South Mike Gapes had given a ‘stirring speech from the back benches’, encouraging his party’s MPs to back the second reading of the Private Member’s votes for life Bill.
“Mike’s speech helped push the Bill over the line despite reservations from the Labour front bench,” she said.
“They wanted to link the Bill to a reduction of the voting age to 16 but Mike wanted to make progress now on this expatriate voting injustice with the Bill currently in front of them.”
This Private Member’s Bill is sponsored by Conservative MP Glyn Davies following a lengthy and tireless campaign from 96-year-old Second World War veteran Harry Shindler.
Mrs Hardy continued: “I have worked with Harry Shindler and Mike Gapes for a long time supporting their efforts to obtain votes for life for British citizens living abroad.
“Mike quoted my email to him pointing out that Votes for Life is even more important post-Brexit as we will have no opportunity to vote for a national representative in our home country nor in our country of residence, as there won’t be a chance to vote for an MEP. Mike also read a section from our International Committee’s resolution on the issue during the debate.”
The second reading of the Bill took place in the House of Commons on February 23.
It has now been committed to a Public Bill Committee which will meet on a date yet to be announced to scrutinise the Bill line by line.
After a third reading in the House of Commons, the Bill will then have to pass to the House of Lords. Any amendments will then be sent back to the Commons – a process which campaigners estimate could take at least a year.
John Moffett, vice chair of Bremain in Spain, said: “In the centenary year of women getting the vote, it is fitting that the process of restoring the vote to overseas electors has begun. These people have been disenfranchised by the 15-year rule.
“We will continue lobbying hard to ensure that this important bill becomes a reality so that British overseas voters can participate in UK general elections, regardless of how many years they've spent outside the UK.”
Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale suggested the Bill should be renamed the ' Shindler Bill'. In the debate, Sir Roger said of Harry: “I don't think you could meet anyone more British.”