Email
March 5, 2016
You may well have Legal rights to vote in the referendum about in or out of Europe, but listening to many out here in Spain makes me wonder how many have a moral right to vote. We visit for up to two months at a time twice a year, and try to “live” here as if we were residents. We rarely frequent British Bars, preferring to eat locally, and well! We have spent entire winters over in Spain in the past, but always the lure of family at home have drawn us back.
But I listen to those who upped sticks and came to live here permanently moaning about this and that back home, and now how they intend to vote in Brexit or Brexin whilst freely admitting they only keep a “convenience” address in the UK, perhaps at a son’s or daughter’s home, and the same folks are on the Padron for the Bus pass or the Pensioners holidays and other perks. Nobody forced you to come out here permanently, you decided it was to your advantage to do so, but all of a sudden, that coziness may disappear.
No taxation without representation is a well known phrase, but what about representation without taxation or responsibility? If there was an EU wide referendum of all member states, then yes, by all means, you live in a member state and should be able to vote on Britain staying or leaving, but morally, is it right you could influence a vote in a country on which you have effectively turned your back?
John Case
