Our voice has been heard

By Jason Moore AT last our voice has been heard and a politicial party in Britain is starting to take the sorry plight of British pensioners living overseas seriously. Whether it was just a pre-election stunt or a step in the right direction, I will allow you to be the judge, but the Conservative Party have claimed that they will attempt to tackle two very important issues for us here, if they win the next general election. The Chairman of Conservatives Abroad, David Taylor has said that they will attempt to make the lives of pensioners living overseas better and will also try to give us, expatriates, some form of representation in London, probably in the House of Lords. While it is not ideal at least we would have a voice. I have come to the conclusion that as long as the government of Rodriguez Zapatero is in power our limited voting rights are not going to be extended; in other words I can't see British expatriates being able to vote in Spanish general elections. Therefore, it is to Britain that we have to look and the Tories do appear to have taken this aboard. I sincerely doubt that the Conservatives will win the next general election but the expat issue does appear to be in the political arena and the Conservatives do appear to be getting their act together. I have interviewed countless Conservatives MPs over the years who have always said the same thing; we want your vote but the only thing you get in return is your state pension; no cold weather payments or even care benefits. There is nothing that annoys me more than the terrible treatment British pensioners outside Britain receive from the British government especially when the British government is busy wasting billions of pounds on completely unnecessary projects. It's a start but I must admit I would feel a lot better if it came from New Labour because at least that way you would know that there was a chance that it could become legislation.