Expat voting rights

I would say that British expats in Spain and across the European continent are doing a good job in getting their voice heard over their limited voting rights. The British government has once again admitted that it wants to scrap the 15-year-voting rule and replace it with a vote for life. But the necessary legislation will not be ready in time for the European Union referendum in June. This is a good excuse but the question has to be asked - why? Let us remember that new, extended voting rights for expats were included in the Conservative Party manifesto, and it appears that little has been done to push the issue forward. In fact, it appears that nothing has been done. The government has promised to take action but obviously it will be too late for the European Union referendum. This is a scandalous state of affairs. The most important issue for the majority of British expats at the moment is the possibility of a British exit from the European Union. If Britain leaves the EU it will have a direct impact on the expat population. Now, I am not saying that the majority of expats living on the European continent would support Britain's membership of the European club but they should be able to have their say. At the end of the day we are all British citizens and we should have similar rights as Britons living in Britain. This state of affairs needs to be resolved at once. A vote for life is needed and a vote for life is needed now not later, especially with a referendum on the horizon.