Our Chair Sue Wilson wrote this piece for Yorkshire Bylines about the upcoming bill:

A new electoral integrity bill will form part of the Queen’s Speech this spring, according to the latest government announcement. The controversial proposals, requiring the production of photo ID when casting ballots, are due to be in force by the time of the local elections in 2023. The government claims the new measures will “strengthen the integrity of UK elections”, though campaigners disagree, claiming that millions will be prevented from exercising their democratic rights as a result.

Despite the supposed justification for the proposal, there’s no evidence to support the government’s claims of electoral fraud. In March 2020, the Electoral Commission reported that “there was no evidence of large-scale electoral fraud in 2019”. A total of 592 cases of alleged electoral fraud were investigated by the police that year, with only three leading to a conviction and one to a police caution.

The human rights campaign Liberty has condemned the plans as undemocratic and questioned the government’s justification for such action. Sam Grant, Liberty’s head of policies and campaigns said, “In a healthy democracy everyone should have the right to vote”. He described the introduction of mandatory voter ID as “a very real threat to this right”.

Chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, Darren Hughes, warned that the new proposals would disadvantage “older voters, people of colour and those on low incomes”. Hughes went on to say that, “rather than pulling up the drawbridge to large groups of voters, ministers should deal with bringing in the nine million people who are missing from the electoral register”.

In the US since 2010, 12 states have passed laws requiring the production of photo ID when voting, or when applying to register online. A 2017 nationwide study confirmed that black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities were disproportionately affected and were more likely to suffer voter disenfranchisement as a result of tougher restrictions. It showed that the gaps between BAME and white voting numbers were significantly wider in states with stricter voter ID laws.

British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years make up a significant portion of those ‘missing’ from the register. As part of the electoral integrity bill, the government has committed to restoring lost voting rights to millions of British citizens living overseas. Although much of what’s in the new bill is likely to reduce democratic participation, removing the 15-year rule would be a welcome move.

The restoration of British emigrants voting rights – like the voter ID proposal – is not a new idea, but one that formed part of the Conservative Party manifesto. However, the indefinite extension of voting rights for Britons abroad also appeared in the previous party manifesto. And the one before that. So, it’s little wonder that those long denied their democratic right to vote in UK elections are more than a little sceptical about current government promises being met.

After the 2015 general election, the government committed to scrapping the 15-year rule. A year later, this was followed by the publication of a policy document: ‘A democracy that works for everyone’. A further commitment to introduce ‘votes for life’ appeared in the 2017 manifesto, followed by the overseas voters bill 2017–2019 – a private members bill that never made it past the ‘report stage’ in parliament. I remember it well, as I watched from the House of Commons public gallery as the bill was ‘talked out’ by serial filibusterer and ERG member, Philip Davies, MP for Shipley.

Under the heading of ‘Protect our democracy’, this short mention appeared in the 2019 Conservative manifesto: “We will make it easier for British expats to vote in Parliamentary elections, and get rid of the arbitrary 15-year limit on their voting rights”.

In correspondence received from the Cabinet Office in 2020, the government recognised the connection Brits abroad have with their homeland. It said, “most British citizens overseas retain deep ties to the United Kingdom. Many still have family here, some will return here, others are drawing a British pension after a lifetime of hard work and some may have fought for our country”. I await, with interest a response to my, as yet unanswered, enquiries submitted this and last month.

Despite deep connections with ‘home’, many Brits abroad have no say in British matters. Thanks to Brexit, many have no democratic voting rights left anywhere. Our voices are silenced, our democratic rights denied, no matter how loud we might shout. Regardless of whether we choose to live in Margate or Madrid, we are still British, and decisions made in Westminster affect our lives.

To the public and politicians alike, Brits abroad are out of sight, out of mind. We made a decision to leave the country and we should live with the consequences, regardless of how strong our ties with the UK might be. The government, apparently, agrees with us – we should be able to vote regardless of where we lay our hat.

The right to vote is widely recognised as a fundamental human right. In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 21), it states that, “Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives”.

We will follow the progress of the new bill with interest, but with more than a little scepticism. Like many before us, we will hold on to the hope that this time will be different, despite the many disappointments of the past.

We’ve been patient, as the numbers of disenfranchised voters have grown. We’ve watched from a distance as major decisions about the future of the UK have been made without our involvement. Decisions that affect us deeply. It’s time to give us the voice we’ve so long been promised, and in time for the next general election. Even if the government might not like what we have to say.

This article by our Chair Sue Wilson first appeared in West England Bylines on February 10 2021.

From a young age, I dreamed of living by the sea. Those dreams were based on happy childhood memories of monthly visits to family in Dorset. The beaches were glorious and the people, and the weather, always seemed to be warm and sunny. Then at 18, I discovered a different kind of heat – and coastline – on my first trip to Spain. It was love at first sight. Spain has now been my home for 14 years, and always will be.

Moving house is said to be the third most stressful event in anyone’s life, with only the death of a loved one and divorce considered more traumatic. Even if your move is local, the complexity of the tasks and the anxiety of waiting for decisions, especially financial ones, can be immense. Choosing to move abroad is on another scale entirely.

Spain has long been the most popular European destination for migrating Brits, closely followed by France. While the weather has always been a significant factor, the charms of European landscapes, culture, people and lifestyles should not be underestimated.

Despite media stereotypes of retired expats sipping gin at the golf club, or worse still, at the local “British” pub, only 20% of Brits in Europe are actually pensioners. Although that figure rises to 25% in Spain, the vast majority of British immigrants are younger, working people or students. Most are integrated into local society, many having lived abroad for years, if not decades.

Another common misconception about Brits abroad is that they are all relatively well off. While it’s true that some have the means to afford property in the UK and abroad, most of us don’t. In fact, many in Spain are on low incomes, some having moved specifically because their money goes further here. Those with means will cope with new financial requirements, but migrants with lower incomes may not.

I am fortunate to live in a mortgage-free, detached two bedroom villa, with a nice garden and a swimming pool. I have a quality of life I could never hope to achieve in the UK, and thanks to the lower cost of living, my husband and I are able to live well, and within our means. Our British state pensions are our only source of income. We would never be able to afford our current lifestyle in my home-town of Oxford.

It takes a certain kind of bravery to pack up your lives, leave family, friends and careers behind, and start afresh, especially in a foreign language. That journey was made so much easier for us by the freedom of movement, and lack of barriers, that our EU citizenship provided.

Many more have joined the ranks of Brits in Europe recently – some much earlier than originally intended – in an effort to become legal residents before the end of the Brexit transition period. As a result, they have secured their right to live in Europe, and the added protections afforded us by the Withdrawal Agreement. While it doesn’t protect all the rights and benefits we enjoyed as EU citizens, it does preserve many of them.

Thanks to Brexit, how many Britons will have to abandon their long-held dreams of ‘living in the sun’, now EU immigration has become more difficult and expensive?

British migrants now face the same hurdles in applying for Spanish residency as other third country nationals. To work in Spain, they will need to apply for a work visa, having first secured a job offer. Although many of the complex administrative arrangements would be dealt with by the prospective employer, the issue is more one of employability. British citizens are finding their job prospects in Europe considerably reduced, as employers favour EU citizens. Not only does it save them considerable bureaucratic hassle, but it means those employees can freely travel to other European countries on business.

Should you decide to complete your working days in the UK, what are your emigration options as a pensioner? You can apply for a Spanish “retirement visa” if you can meet a number of conditions. You would need to provide the following, with all documents having been translated into Spanish:

a medical certificate stating you have no infectious diseases
proof of medical insurance cover
no criminal record
proof of financial resources
in some cases, proof of accommodation, such as a year’s lease or property title
Those financial resources equate to having a healthy bank balance (over £26,000), or a guaranteed monthly income. For a married couple, that monthly income is equivalent to around £2,400. Anyone reliant exclusively on a British state pension for income, like myself, would not meet the financial threshold. Not to mention that private healthcare for the over 65s is expensive, especially for anyone with pre-existing medical conditions.

After all that effort – assuming the criteria for residency were met, your initial retirement visa would only last for one year. All rather different from the ease with which I packed up myself, and my house, and got on a plane in 2007.

The easiest way (for some) to secure residency in Spain, or any European country, is the “Golden Visa” scheme. Invest one million euros in a Spanish company or buy a property worth more than €500,000. No worries – we’ll take two of those!

Sue Wilson follows up on her first two Yorkshire Bylines open letters to the prime minister – you can read these here.

Dear Boris,

It’s been two whole months since my last letter, and still no response from you. I’m feeling a little unloved by your lack of attention, but considering what you’ve had to deal with recently, I’m prepared to make allowances.

Dealing with the pandemic has proved a heavy burden to many world leaders. On top of the weighty toll of covid, you’ve had a Brexit deal to secure and implement. It would be rather churlish of me, under the circumstances, to give you a hard time about your failure to acknowledge little old me. After all, it’s not like I’m a Conservative supporter, and most definitely not a party donor!

I must congratulate you on your handling of both crises. First, covid. It never ceases to amaze me as to your flexibility on the subject. What other leader has changed their mind so often regarding what strategy to pursue or what measures to enforce? Those that suggest you are unable to make a decision, that you ignore scientific advice, or accuse you of being reactive just don’t know what they are talking about! “He’s doing his best”, I tell them, and I truly believe that – you are using all the skills you possess.

The heavy toll of all those deaths must, I’m sure, keep you awake at night. Thank goodness the vaccination programme is rolling out at a world-beating pace. I promise to give you a big “woo-hoo!” when the roll-out of the second doses match up with the speed of the first.

My mum wanted me to tell you that she is most grateful that, at the age of 90, she has received her first jab. At the age of 67, I will have to wait a while longer, but it’s a great relief to know that one’s parent is on the road to safety. Likewise, you must be greatly relieved that your 80-year-old dad has had not one, but both vaccinations. Mum did ask if you could explain why her second appointment was cancelled, and your dad’s was not, but I assured her there would have been a very good reason and it was nothing to do with money or connections.

Of course, I cannot write without a mention of Brexit. I knew I was right when I said you’d get a deal, so congratulations. You pulled a rabbit out of the hat at the eleventh hour and proved all those doubters wrong. Not only that, but you managed to get parliament, including the troublesome ERG, to ratify the deal! That’s something not even the EU’s managed to do as yet.

It is perfectly understandable that the new arrangement is causing some concern over a few “teething problems”, but not to worry. I appreciate you are being inundated with complaints from various industries, but sod ‘em, I say! If the bankers, fishermen, musicians, farmers, cheese exporters et al were so concerned, they should have spoken up before Brexit was “done”. Bit late to cry about it now!

Considering my earlier letters – assuming you read them – you may have noticed a change in my attitude towards Brexit. I guess I have finally accepted that Brexit is “done” and that it’s time to move on. I’m not saying that will always be easy, but I know that I can rely on you to cheer up both me and the nation when we falter.

I very much look forward to seeing you out and about around the country, and I can’t wait to see what you will be doing, or wearing, next. I sincerely hope to see some more tractors, bulldozers, perhaps even a fishing boat or two. I especially look forward to seeing you dip into the dressing-up box again and donning the next uniform. I don’t believe we’ve yet seen you dressed as a sailor – perhaps that’s one to consider. Failing that, why not have a word with the Village People – I’m sure they could come up with a few ideas. Maybe they could even supply a theme song to go with it, like they unwittingly did for your old, disgraced American pal. In any case, with or without the outfits, I can’t wait to see how you are going to get yourself out of your next scrape.

Threatening the EU with some article or other, and persuading the media that the EU are still the bad guys, is no mean feat. I look forward, with interest, to see what japes you might come up with next. Having a jester for a prime minister doesn’t always look wise, but it sure can be a lot of fun in these depressing times, so keep up the good work!

Lots of love,

Sue Wilson

Chair of Bremain in Spain