Brian Cave the organiser of Pensioners Debout! has provided the following quotes from British expats now retired to Australia but questioning why they do not the right to vote in their country of origin.

From Sydney to Perth the British who have retired to Australia , are proud to be British.  They are British but they want the British Government to be fair to them.  Many have gone to Australia to live with  one or other of their children who have earlier in their lives emigrated.  Is it not natural that the parents want to be with their children?  Though many have adult children and grandchildren still in Britain , there is more space in Ozzieland  for the grandparents.  But by golly there are drawbacks. And the drawbacks are all of the making of the British Government.  Fairness is not in it.  Nothing could be more unfair than the way these  pensioners are treated by the British Government.  ‘Fairness’ says David Cameron ‘means giving people what they deserve, and what they deserve depends on how they behave.

Let us quote some British pensioners in Australia and across the World who have left comments on the web-site http://www.votes-for-expat-brits.com.

Beryl Plummer —  I came to Australia to be near my children and grandchildren. Even though I still pay my taxes in the UK and have a British Passport I cannot vote and have had my pension frozen. It is not right, we should be allowed to have our say.

Erica Beach – Although I live in Australia my roots are still in Britain and I consider the right to vote to be very important.

The following quotes expose the full gamut of unfairness:

Roger Ryan – I have lived and worked as a journalist in Hong Kong on and off since 1994. During several of those years I have had a postal vote but am rapidly approaching the time when my 15 years will be up and my vote lost. I retain property in the UK and may well return when I retire as I do not relish my state pension being ‘frozen’ should I retire in or to a country that does not have an arrangement with the UK for me to receive regular increases despite being fully paid-up in my NI contributions. I should be able to vote in UK elections from wherever I am in the world as I remain a British citizen and thus affected by the changing whims of Parliament.

The vast majority of  pensioners have deep lasting ties with Britain .  They have families in Britain , their pensions come from Britain . Many are still taxed in Britain . Their savings are in British institutions.  Some may eventually return to Britain .

They are signing the Voting Rights  poll and the HMGovernment website e-petition  to end the  unfair frozen overseas pension policy, in their hundreds. Why?

Because they want to be represented in the British Parliament.  But for those who live in Australia , Canada , Hong Kong and other places it is far worse. Their State Retirement Pensions are frozen at the level at which they first received it.

Denise Slater in Australia says:  My husband receives the princely amount of  £18 per week. He is now 81 and this is the time when we need a realistic pension to survive on. He is proud to be British. Shame on the government (Labour and Conservative) that rules from Whitehall by abusing its power…

Let us read a final comment from France on Representation and Fairness.

Ron Wright – France has a Minister for the French abroad (David Douillet – ex Judo champion!). So why is the UK Govt not doing the same ? Completely illogical and not “fair play” PM Cameron!

Brian Cave – organiser of http://pensionersdebout.blogspot.com/2011/08/to-all-british-expatriates-everywhere.html