Liberal Democrats Abroad have today, Tuesday, condemned the government’s new Representation of the People Bill as “a disgrace” that fails to address the systematic disenfranchisement of British citizens living abroad. In spite of government promises to modernise elections, the Bill leaves the archaic postal voting system for overseas voters untouched. This ignores the evidence in the 2024 General Election review revealing that less than half of overseas ballots were returned in time to be counted, effectively silencing thousands of legitimate voters.
Comments from Jenny Shorten, Chair of Liberal Democrats Abroad: “The government claims that ‘overseas electors are legitimate voters who should be able to exercise their vote without unnecessary barriers,’ but this Bill does virtually nothing to remove those barriers. “It is a disgrace that in 2026, we are still relying on a Victorian-era postal system that disenfranchises citizens simply because the post takes too long. We’ve heard from voters who had to pay for private couriers just to make sure their democratic voice was heard. Voting from abroad is effectively a lottery, and that has to change.
“We are calling for urgent amendments to this Bill to remove barriers to voting from abroad, including the introduction of electronic distribution of ballots and voting at embassies. The five million Britons living abroad cannot continue to be ignored, and the government must provide the fair representation they deserve.”
Key Demands:
Liberal Democrats Abroad are campaigning for amendments to the Bill to include:
● Improved postal ballot distribution: The option to download and print ballots to bypass international postal delays, and other logistical improvements.
● Embassy voting: Allowing citizens to cast their votes at British embassies and consulates.
● Automatic voter registration: Include overseas voters in the new automatic addition of voters to electoral registers.
While the government takes steps to improve voting for those within the UK, it is unacceptable to ignore the proven barriers facing those abroad. Fair representation must mean fair access for all, and the Liberal Democrats Abroad remain committed to ensuring that ‘votes for life’ actually means a vote that counts.
In a previous interview with the Bulletin, LibDems in Europe, said “the Withdrawal Agreement failed to take into account the situation and the needs of the millions of British citizens working and living overseas; they got lost in the process. And the LibDems are very aware of that. So moving forward, we, as a party, have a four-stage plan to rebuild sensible relations with Europe that eventually will lead to tackling the 90-day rule one way or another. But unilaterally, it will be difficult.
“The LibDems believe most British citizens expect to get help from the UK Government if they run into difficulties when abroad but that’s not necessarily the case. At present, the provision of consular support by the UK Government is decided on a case-by-case basis. British citizens overseas need a first point of call which works and is easy to access.
"The LibDems want to push for a government and a system which best serves Britons overseas while trying to overcome the hurdles which have been thrown up as a result of Brexit. We need a change of mindset, we need to look at what needs to be done and do something about it as opposed to just talking about it.”