Your views

Dear Sir,
“Overseas Voting Rights”
You will recall that the Association “Europeos por Espana” organized a meeting here in Palma in July of this year with British Euro-MP, Robert Sturdy. Among the many subjects discussed were the residency card, the right to vote here in Spain, and the 15-year rule for ex-pats voting in Britain, including the hugely important Referendum. You referred to this “possibility” in your Editorial earlier this week.
As agreed, Robert Sturdy took the on-going concerns regarding voting to the British Parliament, in particular the Minister for State and the Constitution, Rt Hon Greg Clark MP. Robert has just forwarded to me the official reply from the Minister, which affects all British citizens living abroad, whether in the E.U. or elsewhere in the world. The letter states “The Government will keep the 15 year time limit under consideration, but is not minded to change the law at the present time”. The letter goes on to confirm that “the European Union (Referendum) Bill...........would exclude those British citizens overseas whose time limit on their voting rights has lapsed”.
I hope that this clarifies the matter on the current situation for British ex-pats here being able to participate in the proposed 2017 Referendum on Britain’s European membership.
Kate Mentink,
President, “Europeos por Espana”