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British citizens living abroad set to reclaim right to vote in UK elections

by editor

The UK government has vowed to scrap a law that bans British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years from taking part in UK elections.

This will mean all Britons living in Europe and beyond will be eligible to vote.

Those affected will be allowed to register in the constituencies where they lived before leaving the country.

The government set out its plan in the Spring Budget and has pledged £2.5 million (€2.9 million) towards revoking the law.

The limit was introduced in 2002 and excluded expats from taking part in the 2016 Brexit Referendum, a vote that directly impacted the lives of UK citizens living in the EU.

According to Laura Shields, a member of the campaign group British in Europe, as many as four million Brits abroad could have been disenfranchised.

She said the UK has always been behind the curve when it comes to citizenship.

Watch the full interview with Laura Shields in the media player above.

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