tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20657858.post387089119575766333..comments2024-03-28T04:06:09.130+01:00Comments on Spanish Shilling: Consequences of a Brexit Lenoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12933569673776013122noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20657858.post-87969840782544783442016-02-15T17:42:50.022+01:002016-02-15T17:42:50.022+01:00The pressure of two million Brits abroad will cert...The pressure of two million Brits abroad will certainly have an impact, especially if they speak about their potential plight with their friends and family back in the UK. Get everyone voting, it's the only way we can be confident of winning! I'd also encourage you to sign the official petition for UK expats to be able to vote in the referendum: https://uktostay.eu/2015/11/21/expats/ <br /><br />Every little bit of pressure helps :)UKtoStay in the EUhttp://www.uktostay.eunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20657858.post-44344961583840781992016-02-14T13:58:12.931+01:002016-02-14T13:58:12.931+01:00Those British citizens who have lived continuously...Those British citizens who have lived continuously outside the UK for less than 15 years are able to register to vote in general elections and referendums held in the UK. I suspect that at the very least 50% of British citizens resident in the EU fall into this category - if eligible it is a very straightforward matter to register (via the gov.uk website). A period of residence in the UK "resets the clock". For those who have resided abroad in excess of 15 years contiunously that will not be possible, but then they most probably pay no UK tax either and retain their British citizenship more for their own convenience than that of the UK. It is open to anyone living in Spain to apply for naturalisation after a certain number of years - perhaps some long-term British residents might consider doing so, if they are truly worried about what might happen should the rather unlikely Brexit occur.<br /><br />I do live in the UK, but have a holiday home in Spain, and will be voting in the upcoming referendum whenever it is held, but have not yet decided how I shall vote. Although old enough, I was not in fact able to vote in the last referendum on EEC membership in the 1970s, because at that time expatriates could not vote in UK elections at all (with some exceptions for the armed forces and diplomatic service I believe) and I had lived abroad for some years then, indeed by the time such rights were established I had already lived abroad for too long to be eligible, until for a brief period after the time period was extended I gained the right, before returning to live in the UK again briefly when the "clock was reset" for me, after which I returned to live abroad for some years. Most of my time abroad was spent living in countries not members of the EU then or now. However, I have always been pro-EEC/EU and still am to a large extent, although in recent years the flaws in the EU-system have made me much more equivocal about the benefits of remaining - once the full terms agreed are known and analysed I will make up my mind how to vote.Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10393265755614039206noreply@blogger.com