Members of the armed forces, Crown
servants, and employees of the British
Council are exempted from the 15-year
rule. So a Briton employed by the
years, whereas a Briton working
on the other side of the road for the UK Embassy to
the European Union will
not.
The treaties of the European Union
grant to all European citizens the right
to live and work in another state of
the EU. The fundamental rights of EU citizens
to move freelywithin the EU was never intended to be subject to restrictions or
country
places restrictionsor penalties on its own citizens who wish to avail
themselves of these basic rights, it is guilty of discriminating against its
own citizens
to the benefit of citizens of other EUMember States, whose free
movement to other
countries is not penalized.
Many Britons live abroad because they
were posted there by their UK
employers, orbecause they represent the UK in
international organizations or NGOs,
such as the European institutions in Brussels or agencies of the United Nations. These
are peoplewho fly the flag
for Britain abroad. Why should they be penalized by being
deprived of the right to vote?
