ITV Tonight Programme featuring Bremain in Spain

ITV Tonight Programme featuring Bremain in Spain

ITV’s the Tonight programme – Brits Abroad: Is The Dream Over? – features Sue Wilson and Karen Moon of Bremain in Spain highlighting the issues facing UK citizens living in the Spain and the rest of the EU after Brexit. Presented by Julie Etchingham.
27th April 2017

From the ITV website –

“Over one million Britons live and work in other EU countries but until the Brexit negotiations get going, it seems very uncertain what their futures may be.

Many expats moved to Europe hoping for a blissful retirement in the sun. Others chose to settle abroad to work, raise families and to run their own businesses.

Officially over 300,000 Brit’s have set up home in Spain, with around one third of them retirees.

Fiona Foster headed to the Costa Blanca with the Tonight programme to meet musicians from Just Brass. For over a decade the band has been performing some very British-style music, from its base in southern Spain – and its members have graced many of the UK’s top brass bands. Tonight wanted to know whether things have changed for them since last year’s referendum vote for Brexit and, crucially, how they feel about the future.”…… Read the full story

Voting by Proxy

Voting by Proxy

The Facts

Your Vote Matters – Don’t Lose It!

1. The deadline to apply to vote by proxy at the UK general election on Thursday 8 June is 5pm on Wednesday 31 May.In England, Scotland or Wales, you will need to download and complete a form to apply to vote by proxy.

2. After completing the form you’ll need to print it, sign it, and send it back to your local electoral registration office. Please check with your local electoral registration office whether you are allowed to scan the completed form to them as this would be much quicker than sending it by post given the time constraints.  You can download the overseas proxy form here Download the form for a proxy vote as you’re living overseas (PDF)

3. When you apply for a proxy vote you must provide a reason. You can apply for a proxy vote if you are a British citizen living overseas. There are other reasons which allow you to apply for a proxy vote and you can find those details online at https://www.yourvotematters.co.uk/how-do-i-vote/voting-by-proxy

4. The person you wish to appoint as your proxy can only act as proxy if they are 18 (16 in Scotland) and are registered to vote. A person cannot be a proxy for more than two people at any one election or referendum, unless they are a close relative.

5. Your proxy must go to your local polling place to vote. Your proxy will be sent a proxy poll card, telling them where and when to vote. You must let your proxy know how you want them to vote on your behalf, for example, for which candidate or party.

6.  If your proxy cannot get to the polling place, they can apply to vote for you by post. They can apply to do this up to 5pm, 11 working days before election day.

7. Your electoral registration office can give you more details about this.
It’s very simple to vote as someone’s proxy. You will be sent a special proxy poll card with details of where you should go to vote. Just tell the staff at the polling station that you are voting as a proxy and they will tell you what to do. Don’t forget to take your proxy poll card – this will make it easier for polling place staff to find the right ballot paper.

8. It would be helpful for information purposes if you could spare a few moments to let us know the following: a) which constituency you were voting in; b) describe your experience with registering, applying for postal vote or applying for proxy vote and c) was there anything that made the process difficult to do? If you could let us know by email to proxyvotes@bremaininspain.com we would be very grateful.

You can read the full form below

You can download the official
Overseas Proxy Vote Application
Form HERE
(PDF)

Proxy Vote
Brits Abroad: Is the Dream Over?

Brits Abroad: Is the Dream Over?

Sue Wilson – Chair – Bremain in Spain. Brits Abroad: Is The Dream Over? ITV at 7.30pm

Over one million Britons live and work in other EU countries but until the Brexit negotiations get going, it seems very uncertain what their futures may be.

Many expats moved to Europe hoping for a blissful retirement in the sun. Others chose to settle abroad to work, raise families and to run their own businesses.

Officially over 300,000 Brit’s have set up home in Spain, with around one third of them retirees.

Fiona Foster headed to the Costa Blanca with the Tonight programme to meet musicians from Just Brass. For over a decade the band has been performing some very British-style music, from its base in southern Spain – and its members have graced many of the UK’s top brass bands. Tonight wanted to know whether things have changed for them since last year’s referendum vote for Brexit and, crucially, how they feel about the future.

See full article at itv.com

Save

Save

Bremain in Spain criticises lack of ‘Votes for Life’ for British citizens living in EU.

Bremain in Spain criticises lack of ‘Votes for Life’ for British citizens living in EU.

Bremain in Spain, a group campaigning for the rights of British citizens in Spain, notes that the Prime Minister has called a General Election on a date that disables people who have lived overseas for over 15 years from voting, despite the Tories’ 2015 manifesto promises to provide “votes for life” in subsequent elections. June 8 does not allow enough time to enable votes for life through an Act of Parliament: just as the June 23 Referendum did not allow this sizeable number of citizens to cast its vote.

At the last election, the Conservative Party manifesto explicitly stated: “We will introduce votes for life, scrapping the rule that bars British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years from voting”. This pledge was not met in time for the Brexit referendum, nor can it be met in time for the June 8 election. Consequently, yet again, British citizens living in EU countries for over 15 years will be denied a say in the formation of a government that will negotiate their future rights to live and work in EU countries.

Bremain in Spain member, Margaret King, explains how she feels about this situation: “All British citizens, including those who live outside the UK, were promised votes for life before the next general election. We now have a general election looming and still no votes for us. This election will culminate in the decision to leave the EU, or not, and will affect those of us living in the EU as much as anybody living in the UK. I want my vote that was promised!”

Read full story…

General Election June 8th – Are you Registered to Vote?

General Election June 8th – Are you Registered to Vote?

Many UK citizens living in other EU member countries, who were eligible, didn’t did not vote in the referendum.

 

Let’s not make the same mistake for the General Election on 8th June!

 

“Every Vote Counts”

 

Please ensure you are register to vote by
22nd May.

Do you need more information about registering and voting?

Deadline to Register to Vote

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Delegation of expatriates meets at British Embassy in Madrid

Delegation of expatriates meets at British Embassy in Madrid

BREMAIN IN SPAIN, a group campaigning for the rights of British citizens in Spain, was part of a delegation to the UK Embassy in Madrid on April 19.

The purpose of the meeting, attended by representatives from a coalition of 11 UK citizens’ groups working in Europe, was to discuss the post-Brexit rights of more than one million UK citizens living in the EU where they met virtually with the Rt. Hon. David Jones – Minster of State for the Department for Exiting the EU.

The meeting was the start of an exchange of information and dialogue to illustrate the complex and intertwined nature of the rights that British citizens currently hold in the EU.  Read more…