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The silent majority may indeed hope that the UK remains inside the EU, but it’s precisely their silence that is worrying many British expats.
The numbers remain shocking whenever and wherever they are published, but let’s look at them again. There are only 283,000 Brits officially registered on the padrón as a resident of Spain. And of that minuscule figure (minuscule because it represents perhaps one quarter of the actual number of Brits who currently live in Spain), only 11,000 are registered to vote in the UK.
It is statistics like this that has every politically engaged Brit abroad – be they in Spain, France, Germany or elsewhere in the European Union – rather worried…
On Tuesday, David Cameron addressed the European Commission to outline why the British government is seeking renewed terms for the UK’s membership of the EU. A series of reforms, proposals and promises are set to be offered to Britain to remain in the EU, but the deciding vote will ultimately come down to the British public – and maybe even as early as this coming June.
Nobody knows for sure what a “Brexit” will mean for Britain or the EU, but one thing is certain – a UK outside of the EU would make things that much harder for the millions of Brits who currently reside in other EU nations.
Which is why the British Embassy in Spain, along with its counterpart in France, has this week launched a new awareness campaign with the tagline #YourVoteMatters in an effort to encourage Brits living in Spain and France to register now so that they can have their vote in a referendum that is set to impact them more than anybody else.
According to Foreign Office data, only 5% of eligible overseas voters have so far registered to have their say. Alongside the embassies in Spain and France, those in Germany, Ireland, Poland, Austria and Denmark are also using social media to raise awareness of the issue.
British Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley, this week met with an expat community on the Costa del Sol to lend his visible support for the campaign.
“Interest among expats in the EU referendum is high, but awareness that you may be able to vote is low,” the Ambassador said. “We want as many expats as possible to be aware that they can have their say. You can register to vote in a few minutes via the government website www.gov.uk – and do encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do the same.”
Brits who have lived abroad for less than 15 years can vote via the last registered constituency in which they lived. Registering from overseas is simple, but the process can take longer than one might think.
Expats in Spain are advised to visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and have their passport number and previous UK postcode to hand in order to register as soon as possible.
Vlaams-Nederlands
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SimonFebruary 8, 2016 at 2:06 pm
Previous ballots involving the EU have seen national populations told
“wrong answer, vote again and this time remember who your
unelected, unaccountable, unaudited masters are and ever will be”,
so why is this faux democratic bleet even out there? Oh that’s right, yet another government wants more information on you so they can tax,
prosecute and otherwise ruin your life. Sounds like living in Britain. By what authority to they break their agreements while insisting we keep to the letter of ours? The authority of the bully. They need to be shown who is boss.
frankly fat chance of that with the swarming immigrant problem
swamping Europe and with the UK still the EU’s second largest net
contributor the result will either be cooked or ignored.
JPFebruary 8, 2016 at 11:05 am
On balance it would be bad thing if the UK turned its back on Europe. Trade, security, travel, common legislation (simple things like mobile tariff harmonisation) and much more would be massively disrupted. Why would a Europe to whom we’ve said no, be prepared to roll over and negotiate new arrangements? Even supposing such agreements would eventually be developed, what about the uncertainty in the interim?
A vote no would also precipitate the breakup of the U.K. A new Scottish independence referendum would probably result in a yes vote leaving a rump of England, Wales and NI isolated. Imagine the chaos over a decade or more as new arrangements are negotiated with Europe and Scotland. The cost, the disruption, the economic impact would not b beneficial.
The Europe in which we now live is a million times better than the Europe dominated by division and war of the first half of the last century. Why on earth would anyone of sound mind want to jeopardise this? The EU is not perfect by any means, but then neither is the UK Parliament. The lack of perfection is not a reason to throw it all away for a pig in a poke.
GrahamFebruary 8, 2016 at 9:33 am
Well said Dave I have been out for more then 15 years, when I left the UK, they where happy that I did not add to their unemployment figures at the
time.
NoToNannyFebruary 7, 2016 at 11:47 pm
As a British Ex-pat living in Spain, I have registered to vote and my vote will be to LEAVE the undemocratic Brussels regime called the European Union.
Its ultimate aim is a Federal United States of Europe, with Britain as just a state or region within their grand dream. As a region, Britain will be subject to Federal Law (based on the Napoleonic Code) and Federal Law will override any law(s) any state or region may have enacted.
That, coupled with the current flood of immigrants, many of whom will be undercover agents for ISIS and their like, means that Britain will not be a safe place to be.
Ignore the scare-mongering, and I quote, “…a UK outside of the EU would make things that much harder for the millions of Brits who currently reside in other EU nations.” This is absolute nonsense as many British Ex-pats already live in many countries outside the EU in a peaceful and worry-free environment. The same will apply to we British Ex-pats living in Spain and other EU countries.
Finally, the EU is running scared of a Brexit because it is likely to lead to a collapse of the whole EU house of cards – and they (in Brussels) know it.
LyndonFebruary 7, 2016 at 9:42 am
Our Governments are bound to keep us in shackles of legal slavery and a political referendum is the only tool we have as a people to say yes or no, In the end of it all we must ask the question can we ever trust a politician
John SFebruary 6, 2016 at 11:00 pm
The next step is Turkey as members of the EU. How many from there will make their way to the Uk. The UK already has the highest density of population in the EU and London is a shit hole where the British are almost extinct. Better to get out of the EU which ids run by Germany anyway. The British parliament makes laws only to be over ruled by the EU. Not the economic union we first voted for.
PatrickFebruary 6, 2016 at 8:41 am
If you have taken up permenant residency in Spain why should you be allowed to have a vote on wether its a Brexit or not as you gave up your residency to live in Spain for a better lifestyle and spend your money there supporting the spainish economy,taking money out of GB in winter fuel allowances which is propostuesly wrong and should be stopped if there is a Brexit.
CarolinFebruary 5, 2016 at 6:45 pm
So Brits are not registered in the country they live in but as Nigel says it
Would be nice to have the best of both worlds. I hope that if Great Britain leaves the EU all Brits are loosing there rights in there respective countries they live in. You cant have it both ways if you live in a diferent country than you have to embrase their custom.
NigelFebruary 5, 2016 at 2:16 pm
On balance would be a great thing if the Uk leaves the EU as long as there are reciprocal trading and residential agreements with important EU countries
JohnFebruary 6, 2016 at 11:20 am
juanFebruary 7, 2016 at 3:54 am
DaveFebruary 5, 2016 at 12:45 pm
This is pure PR. The Tories promised to repeal the 15 year rule in their electoral programme. They are liars and have no intention of giving expats who have lived for more than 15 yrs abroad the vote.
It’s anti-democratic. But then Britain is no longer a democracy. It’s an oligarchy.
mike meagerFebruary 7, 2016 at 10:29 am
Have you got something to say?