British expats in UAE ecstatic to regain voting rights in general UK elections

Dubai: British expats living in the UAE are ecstatic about a new ruling from the UK government granting voting rights to all its overseas citizens.

According to a report, an estimated 3.5 million Britons living abroad for more than 15 years will regain their right to vote in parliamentary elections in the UK. Earlier, Brits who left the UK more than 15 years ago lost their right to vote. However, this rule has now been abolished under the Election Act 2022. Affected British citizens will now be able to register in the last constituency they were signed up in before leaving the UK.

Gulf News spoke to a crosssection of British expats living in the UAE. Here is what they said.

Different perspective

Different take

Stuart Thompson, managing director of a specialist security company, has been living in the UAE for the last 18 years. He has a different take on the new rule. “As a British national, I have always been able to vote in UK elections. For others, the issue of overseas voting came about from not registering within a required time frame, thus excluding them from voting. The only new change is the 15 years time limit. When living in the Middle East, we British stay in a clean, crime-free, progressive country aimed at the betterment of the people. Surely, British expats voting will have a global outlook while exercising their rights.”

Basic right

Alexandra Williams, CEO of a company in Dubai, said: “I am personally delighted by the news and with an additional 3.5 millions Britons now eligible to vote.”