Susie
05-07-2007, 04:06 AM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2007/04/04/expatvote.xml
Conservatives target expat vote
By George Jones, Political Editor
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 04/04/2007
More Than two million British people living abroad are to be targeted by the Conservatives in the run up to the next general election.
The party believes there is “untapped potential” among expats who could be encouraged to register to vote in UK elections. Any British citizen who is over 18 and has been on a UK electoral register within the past 15 years can register to vote in UK General and European elections from overseas.
An estimated 5.5 million British people live permanently abroad - almost one in 10 of the population. In 2005 almost 200,000 British nationals left the UK to live overseas - a figure that is expected to increase.
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In 1992, when the Conservatives last won a general election, the expat vote was credited with helping the Tories win a number of marginal seats.
Around 2.5 million of the Britons living abroad still have the right to vote in the UK, but only 17,500 registered to do so at the 2005 election.
Conservatives Abroad, an organisation set up 20 years ago to help expats to continue to participate in British politics, is making great efforts to target the missing 2.48 million who have left the UK and their vote behind.
It has 35 active branches operating in 21 countries around the world, and believes there is scope for more as increasing numbers of people chose to live and work abroad.
Francis Maude, Conservative party chairman, said this week: “It’s the best kept secret for British expats that they have the right to vote back home. We must encourage the millions of Brits abroad to take up their right and contribute to shaping a future Britain. You don't lose interest in your home country when you move abroad. Expats have family back home, and many of them will have financial interests at home, and draw their pension from Britain. There are many reasons, other than merely emotional reasons, for people continuing to take an interest in affairs back home."
The party has a Conservatives Abroad website. (www.conservativesabroad.org) which aims to keep members up to date with developments in London, and contains a guest blog, and video and audio interviews with MPs and Peers.
Conservatives target expat vote
By George Jones, Political Editor
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 04/04/2007
More Than two million British people living abroad are to be targeted by the Conservatives in the run up to the next general election.
The party believes there is “untapped potential” among expats who could be encouraged to register to vote in UK elections. Any British citizen who is over 18 and has been on a UK electoral register within the past 15 years can register to vote in UK General and European elections from overseas.
An estimated 5.5 million British people live permanently abroad - almost one in 10 of the population. In 2005 almost 200,000 British nationals left the UK to live overseas - a figure that is expected to increase.
advertisement
In 1992, when the Conservatives last won a general election, the expat vote was credited with helping the Tories win a number of marginal seats.
Around 2.5 million of the Britons living abroad still have the right to vote in the UK, but only 17,500 registered to do so at the 2005 election.
Conservatives Abroad, an organisation set up 20 years ago to help expats to continue to participate in British politics, is making great efforts to target the missing 2.48 million who have left the UK and their vote behind.
It has 35 active branches operating in 21 countries around the world, and believes there is scope for more as increasing numbers of people chose to live and work abroad.
Francis Maude, Conservative party chairman, said this week: “It’s the best kept secret for British expats that they have the right to vote back home. We must encourage the millions of Brits abroad to take up their right and contribute to shaping a future Britain. You don't lose interest in your home country when you move abroad. Expats have family back home, and many of them will have financial interests at home, and draw their pension from Britain. There are many reasons, other than merely emotional reasons, for people continuing to take an interest in affairs back home."
The party has a Conservatives Abroad website. (www.conservativesabroad.org) which aims to keep members up to date with developments in London, and contains a guest blog, and video and audio interviews with MPs and Peers.