Altea
February 5, 2016
Dear John Penrose,
As Minister for Constitutional Reform you are uniquely placed to act to avert an injustice. The British citizens resident in Europe should be permitted to vote on a matter which affects them more intimately than the rest of the British nation.
You will know that the 15-year cut off is not based on logic but, rather, the outcome of the latest deal between the two largest parties based on their perceptions of their own self interests. And, further, The Government is committed to enfranchising these Britons, but not yet!
That the Lords should turn down the LibDem amendment to enfranchise this group is pretty rich since their lordships had received the right to vote in the exceptional circumstances of this matter. If the Prime Minister would welcome an opportunity to overrule the Lords, this could prove an excellent issue.
I was a local government officer, and know that Lord Faulks’ argument about the administrative difficulties is specious. Local government could act following a simple decision, possibly employing temporary staff as the Royal Mail always used to do for the predicable extra work at Christmas. Given the cuts, the Government could offer a contribution towards the additional expenditure.
Please help us. The vast majority of us moved from Britain after the decisive vote in the seventies to stay in the EEC: our futures are being endangered by those who never accepted that democratic decision.
I give below my phone number.
Yours sincerely,
Kathryn Cunningham Ph D
