British citizens in Gibraltar should have the right to vote in UK elections, says the Rock’s chief minister

ALL British citizens, even if they live in the overseas territories, should have a right to vote in UK general elections, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister has said.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo argued this point at the UK’s House of Commons committee on territorial constitution last Monday.

He said that this was even more relevant since the UK introduced the ‘votes for life policy’ for anyone who had already lived in Britain.

It means that Gibraltar’s university students could register to vote in the UK.

But the need to give locals a vote was also important because the Rock’s interests could at the present time only be represented by current MPs voluntarily.

Those politicians who make up the All Party Parliamentary Group of Gibraltar often ask questions about its well-being, he said.

Picardo said that “the balance has to be a fine one between having representation on those areas where we are not autonomous’ and areas which Gibraltar has full control over.

But he said this was ‘opening the Pandoras’ box’ of finding the right balance between these areas.

This model could be one that could be applied to all overseas territories, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister suggested.

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