Dear Professor Clapham,

I apologise for writing out of the blue!

I am Margaret Hales, a member of a small but very active group of British  citizens living abroad who are working to highlight the problems which beset  Britons living abroad and lobbying to have them rectified.

I worked for more than 25 years at the Open University in Milton Keynes, England, finally retiring as director of a major university/government project.  7 years ago my husband and I emigrated to Spain only to discover that after 15  years we would lose the vote. I have submitted evidence to the All Parliamentary  Working Group chaired by Lord Norton.

My ancestor was Emmeline Pankhurst who, not much less than 100 years ago, fought to gain universal suffrage. Yet today if we live abroad for more than  15 years we have our vote taken away.

If we move to certain countries around the  world our pensions are frozen, Canada and Australia being to prime examples (but  not the USA and Bermuda!).

When the British government needs savings, it fabricates  (!) temperature figures in France and Spain to avoid giving pensioners their  Winter Fuel Allowance (which of course they paid for in their Nation Insurance  contributions).

Fortunately a few MPs in Westminster  and VP EU Commissioner Viviane  Reding have recognised our cause. I recently went as part of a 14 strong  delegation to Brussels to discuss these issues and am keen to talk to British  citizens living in Warsaw when I happen to be in the city at a Conference.

Would  it be possible to meet you and any other British Citizens living in Warsaw you  may know?

I arrive in Warsaw Chopin airport on Thursday 3 October at 17.40 and am  staying at the Hotel Mercure Central in Warsaw. I am attending a conference on  the Friday and return early Saturday morning. My contact details are home +34 966  197 239 and mobile +44 7768 118379.

Hoping to hear from you,

Margaret Hales

Alicante, Spain