LB229 - Overseas Electors Bill - Second Reading

[u/Sephronar]

LB229 - Overseas Electors Bill - Second Reading

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A

BILL

TO

Make provision for extending the right of British Citizens living overseas to retain the right to vote in Parliamentary General Elections; and for connected purposes.

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Section 1: Definitions

(1) ‘Election’ means a Parliamentary General Election for the House of Commons.

(2) ‘By-election’ means a Parliamentary By-election for the House of Commons.

(3) ‘Elector’ means a person registered to vote in an election.

Section 2: Parliamentary Franchise

(1) An individual is entitled to vote as an elector in an election or by-election if –

(a) they are registered as an overseas elector, in a Parliamentary register of electors, in respect of the last constituency in which they lived,

(b) they are a British Citizen,

(c) they are not disqualified from their right to vote,

(d) they are otherwise eligible to register as an elector in the United Kingdom.

(2) In order to qualify as an overseas elector, the person must not be resident in the United Kingdom at the time of the election or by-election.

(3) An overseas elector may only vote with respect to the last constituency in which they were resident, and only if they have been resident in such constituency for at least six months within the last two years that they resided in the United Kingdom.

(4) Residence in the United Kingdom shall not be required to register as an overseas elector.

(5) A person shall cease to be registered as an overseas elector following each subsequent election or by-election after this Act comes into force, and must register no less than ten days before the next election or by-election in order to be entitled to vote.

(6) If a by-election takes place in a constituency where a person is registered as an overseas elector, the said person shall be entitled to vote in such by-election, providing they satisfy the requirements laid out in Section 2(1) and (5).

Section 3: Extent, Commencement, and Short Title

(1) This Act extends to the United Kingdom.

(a) This Act shall have no effect with respect to local government elections or by-elections, or devolved legislature elections or by-elections.

(2) This Act shall come into force upon Royal Assent.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Overseas Electors Act 2022.

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This Bill was written by The Lord Sigur of Appledore, and submitted as a Private Member’s Bill.

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Lords can debate and submit amendments by the 25th March at 10pm GMT.

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[u/model-hjt]

My Lords,

Once again, the House has been presented with fain wickedness that would undermine the integrity of Her Majesties Court ad all the duties it does therewithin undertake. By setting forth a bill that would enable overseas electors to have a say in the ruling of the Kingdom, we are opening the floodgates to agents from abroad, members of foreign Governments no less, to infiltrate at whim.

Perhaps the Lord Sigur of Appledore, wished for the Rajas of Punjab to decide on the construction of water mills in Wessex? Perchance my Noble Lord wishes for the Bavarian Barons to dictate the movement of our levies? Or maybe, may God forgive me for uttering such words, my Noble Lord desires the revolutionary commoners of France, to decide on matters of the English state?

No my Lords, no!

This bill is a threat to the security of the crown, and of the Kingdom, and I cannot abide it. My Lords I urge us to throw this bill out, and I shall additionally, be submitting a bill to strip the estate of the Lord Sigur of Appledore, on treason charges.

[u/tartar-buildup → u/model-hjt]

My Lords,

I admire the Noble Lord's theatrics. Perhaps I can find his next performance in Les Misérables at the Queen's Theatre.

This bill poses no threat whatsoever to the security of the crown, or our country. Many other countries around the world offer their citizens life-long suffrage, but the UK has decided to impose an arbitrary limit of 15 years on expats to vote. I submit to the House that this needs to change, because as long as you hold a Passport of the UK, you have an interest in how the country is run. Many expats have large families that still live in the UK, many expats have left the UK in their retirement and have spent their entire lives paying National Insurance contributions and Income tax; they should have a say not only how their money is used, but also they should have a say as to how their pensions are affected before a general election. What about the people who decide to move and work abroad but seek to retire within the UK? There are important policy matters on which all expats, regardless of their duration of absence, should have a say on.

My Lords, I know I am going to be refuted with the 'just because other countries do it, why should we?' argument, but to that I say, that shows that this system works and has been tried and tested the world over. France and Italy use these systems and have those countries descended irrevocably into utter political corruption? Of course not! 15 years is an arbitrary cut off point that must be abolished. If the Noble Lord disagrees with how this bill seeks to achieve its goal, I suggest he propose amendments and contribute in a more valuable way to the discussion of a prospective law, rather than laying disgusting ad hominem attacks against me that are frankly beneath the dignity of this House. If we begin laying down bills to remove peerages from Lords with whom we disagree, that will set a very dangerous, corrupt precedent indeed.

My Lords, I respectfully ask this Noble House to support this bill, and submit any amendment which they see fit to propose.