As the Beeb is currently chatting about the european elections, it occoured to me that I have done nothing about having a voice in matters "back home" and whats more I dont really know how to go about it.

Who cares?? well as a Brit I do because I am of the opinion that those elected back home turn into the modern equivalents of dick turpin, taking from anyone that had the temerity to travel.

So far the British government will attemp to withhold our rights to healthcare and to inflationary increases in state pension and the conservative party is now stating that it will no longer pay British citizens their state pension if they reside overseas.

Info on maintaining your voting rights welcome as are comments as to wherther this is worth following up

i have done a little poll for brits but i would welcome any additional comments from other expats who have an opinion / know the ropes etc

it is the first poll i have tried so if I have made an arse of it, sorry!

Edited May 20, 200917 yr by alant

Where did you read that the Tories are threatening to withhold our pensions? If this is true (and it seems likely that the Tories will get in at the next election), it's going to be a disaster! How can they do this when I and many others have paid in to the system all our lives?

i feel the same way, where did i read it, i heard it right from the lips of the leader of the opposition on tv when they were debating policy for the impending election, i am now going to see if i can locate it on the web

having looked for the subject, i have to report i can not locate this in tory party documentation. whilst i am fairly sure that i didnt dream it please take the pension comment as "it is rumored" etc

poll still worth it though!

I must admit that I have never heard of any 'threat' to withdraw the State Pension from those living overseas.

I belong to BEP too and have never heard from them about such a plan either so hopefully you 'miss-remembered'.

Can you imagine the 100s of thousands of British expats returning home if their pensions were stopped?

But putting my cynical head on who knows what bright ideas they may dream up in the future?

Poll is a good idea too.

Every elections it's the Tory party that trot out the scare that Labour are going to tax overseas expats.

Maybe it's because they're thinking about doing that themselves?

Every elections it's the Tory party that trot out the scare that Labour are going to tax overseas expats.

Maybe it's because they're thinking about doing that themselves?

Well it was John Major who first proposed taxing the 'Tax Free Lump Sum' available to people with private/company pensions - so anything can happen.

To quote Billy Connerly...."Dont Vote it only encourages them"

having looked for the subject, i have to report i can not locate this in tory party documentation. whilst i am fairly sure that i didnt dream it please take the pension comment as "it is rumored" etc

poll still worth it though!

I can't help but think this is a very controversial rumour you 'may' be starting here and I am amazed that, particularly on this forum, that nobody else seems to have picked up on it.

I used to always vote Tory however I haven't bothered for the last few elections, however, if they were proposing such a move on overseas pensions I would certainly vote for the party most likely to be able to stop them.

edited to sound a bit less negative!

Edited May 20, 200917 yr by Orac

As the Beeb is currently chatting about the european elections, it occoured to me that I have done nothing about having a voice in matters "back home" and whats more I dont really know how to go about it.

Who cares?? well as a Brit I do because I am of the opinion that those elected back home turn into the modern equivalents of dick turpin, taking from anyone that had the temerity to travel.

So far the British government will attemp to withhold our rights to healthcare and to inflationary increases in state pension and the conservative party is now stating that it will no longer pay British citizens their state pension if they reside overseas.

Info on maintaining your voting rights welcome as are comments as to wherther this is worth following up

i have done a little poll for brits but i would welcome any additional comments from other expats who have an opinion / know the ropes etc

it is the first poll i have tried so if I have made an arse of it, sorry!

Yes, I always vote, in National and some time local election, pay my taxes might a well have my little say on how, who and when they will spent it.

Every elections it's the Tory party that trot out the scare that Labour are going to tax overseas expats.

Maybe it's because they're thinking about doing that themselves?

Well it was John Major who first proposed taxing the 'Tax Free Lump Sum' available to people with private/company pensions - so anything can happen.

And that asshol_e Brown who raided the private pension schemes.

And that asshol_e Brown who raided the private pension schemes.

Agreed. Come the revolution, he'll be first on my list.

By the way, not everyone here is from the UK. Don't see how this is relevant to the rest of us.

Actually, I don't see how its even relevant to Thailand since it mainly seems to be another rant against the UK.

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