Our campaign for overseas constituencies is gathering momentum with more parliamentarians backing the campaign and fresh news coverage. The introduction of overseas constituencies would mean that UK citizens, living and working abroad, would be represented by an MP in the UK parliament.
Articles about the campaign were published by Brussels based journalist Martin Banks in the EU Reporter, which is read by leading politicians and decision makers across Europe, as well as in the EU Political Report, which follows political trends across Europe.
You can read the article here Overseas constituency MPs campaign gathers momentum
It comes after many MPs and peers in the UK parliament have expressed their support for overseas constituencies, including Ben Bradshaw MP (Lab), Baroness Catherine Meyer (Con), alongside several Lib Dem MPs and Lib Dem peers.
Chair of New Europeans UK, Dr Ruvi Ziegler, said: “We are asking parliamentarians to support our campaign to introduce overseas constituencies for UK citizens living abroad, for instance by tabling parliamentary questions, initiating debates, tabling Early Day Motions, and pressing for the inclusion of support for overseas constituencies in party manifestos.”
Countries with a population size not too dissimilar to that of the UK, such as France and Italy, already have overseas constituencies, representing their citizens living and working abroad. In fact, there are 17 countries of different sizes and electoral systems with overseas constituencies. Others include Lithuania, North Macedonia, Portugal, and Romania.
New Europeans UK and Unlock Democracy are running the campaign with support from campaign groups such as Brexpats – Hear Our Voice, Bremain in Spain, European Britons, British Multi Country Residents, along with various Liberal Democrat groups abroad.