Dear Editor
After reading the letter from Des Briggs last week regarding the right to vote, I would like to write in support of his view.
I have heard several comments disputing his right to vote in the UK.
Whilst I understand that some feel that anyone who does not live in the UK should not have a right to vote there, regardless of their contribution either financially or otherwise to the UK, they cannot justify that expats cannot have the right to vote in any country that they are contributing to whether financially or otherwise just because they are not nationalised residents of that country.
I suppose that qualification might considerably reduce the voting population of the UK if it was adopted there. There is currently a movement to give ALL prisoners in the UK the right to vote – would they also support this human right, I wonder?
If they do, then surely someone who has contributed to his country as Mr Briggs – BEM note – has and continues to do so should also have the same right.
I assume that those who oppose Mr Briggs’ opinion do so based purely on the fact that Mr Briggs lives in Portugal. However, I am personally aware of someone who is British, born and brought up in Portugal but educated in the UK from the age of 16, but has no right to vote for the government in the UK or Portugal, however was recently obliged by the Portuguese government to serve national service here although admittedly for only one day – so I assume this person would be encouraged to fight for Portugal should the need arise.Strangely though, the same person was not entitled to ANY benefits when they decided to live and work in the UK.
I was under the impression that Human Rights in the EU applied to all the member countries – obviously I was wrong.
I wonder if those opposing Mr Briggs’ viewpoint would agree that Human Rights should not apply throughout the EU and which one they would remove first!
Peter Morley
By email
