What a Tory government means for British expats

On the up? A Tory government is probably the best outcome for expats…

Last week’s General Election victory for the Conservative Party is likely to prove – on balance – positive for most British expats who currently live away from the UK.

In the Tories’ pre-election manifesto, one of the party’s lesser-heralded pledges was the promise to bring to an end the 15-year rule for expats, whereby Brits who have lived overseas for 15 years lose their right to vote in UK general elections…

The manifesto said: “We will complete the electoral register by working to include more of the five million Britons who live abroad. We will introduce votes for life, scrapping the rule that bars British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years from voting.”

Whether the Tories actually come through with that promise remains uncertain, given the relative lack of public support for the measure back in the UK. However, should they rescind the law, it will mean that Brits living in Spain, France, the USA, China, wherever, will be able to have their say in the running of the country, even if they have spent more than 15 years living abroad.

The Tories have promised to continue cutting certain welfare benefits in the UK, and if their recent steadying of the financial ship is anything to go by, the next five years could see the UK develop its economy further, which means a stronger pound and greater consumer confidence – both of which will only bring positive benefits to Brits living in Spain thanks to sustained and growing tourism, property investment and perhaps even job creation.

However, one benefit the Tories are intent on cutting is the Winter Fuel Payment to Brits living in countries that have a hotter average temperature than the UK. That means pensioners living in Spain are set to lose their payments later this year.

Another issue that is sure to be of interest to British expats – particularly those that live in another European Union (EU) country – is the promise by the Tories to hold an In/Out referendum on EU membership in 2017.

It is unclear right now what this could mean for Brits in Spain should the UK choose to leave the EU. Much depends on what terms would be agreed during the Brexit (British exit) and whether, for example, Spain is happy to introduce new laws allowing Brits currently residing in the country to stay without additional work or residency visas.

The likelihood is that – even if the UK votes to leave the EU – the right of free movement to live and work in other EU countries would be largely protected, or at least made only slightly more difficult via the introduction of certain visas, permits or paperwork.

Right now, nobody knows what the fallout would be from such an unprecedented move, and the chances are probably 60/40 at the moment that the British public would vote to stay in the EU. But things can change in two years.

All in all, though, Brits either living in Spain or currently looking at buying property in Spain are likely to be well served by this new Conservative government.