Election Day For Some .

My blip is of one who has just got their right to vote again since they have returned to UK .I'm happy for them and wish to inform any who may be interested, in some facts :-)
1) until 1985 voting by British citizens  overseas was a no no unless they were working for the Government or Armed forces .They could pay tax , hold the passport but, have no vote .
2 ) the then Tory government introduced a right to vote for none UK based overseas ,but sadly with a 20 year limit.
3) I went to Berlin in 1987 with UK based status so could vote .
4) In 1995 when I ceased working for the MOD this status ended so I applied for my overseas voting right  .My time for such should have started then .The Embassy , my last Town Hall informed me I had no rights .Ignorance of the facts. The battle for these began but it took until 2003 until I made an impact .I had to enrol each year and have a proxy voter .Fine by me .
5) However two points ...not only had the Blair Government reduced the time to 15 years , the years I had tried to register and been refused were lost .I could not be credited with them .
6) My passport is British .I pay tax and how each month to Britain .I have no voting rights in Germany . I am 1 of over 3 million plus such cases .
7) In USA, France  and Germany etc citizens do not loose their right to vote no matter where they are , so long as they hold the passport of their country .
My campaign for life long voting rights continues . Meanwhile I'm happy for this guy who has got his back for at least 15years .