Treat us with respect

A classic case of  discrimination which must break every rule in the book. British pensioners, who have paid into the British state for most of their lives, decide to move abroad and then they are told that they are not entitled to benefits from the British government. It is an outrage. When are successive British governments going to treat expatriates with the respect they deserve. I remember asking a Labour minister in Tony Blair´s government about winter fuel payments - in those days you couldn´t receive them abroad. He laughed and said “next, expats will want help with their air conditioning bill...”  This statement rather sums up the British government´s view of those who live outside Britain. We don´t count. But what the British government must remember is that in majority of cases expats have contributed to the British system for many years  and therefore they deserve their benefits. Indirectly, they have paid for them for many years.  Also, the majority of expats have relatives living in Britain who can vote. British expatriates are rapidly becoming forgotten by the British establishment for the simple reason is that they live outside Britain. I believe that there should be a government  junior minister responsible for expatriates. There is  Conservatives Abroad aimed exclusively at trying to get expats to vote for the Tory cause but there isn´t a government department which deals with the rights and welfare of expats. So they want our vote but nothing more. No vote without representation, should be our battle cry as Britain heads towards a general election!