03/03/2026
Chair of the APPG on Citizens' Rights, Manuela Perteghella MP, yesterday spoke about the need to improve voting methods for Britons abroad during a debate in Parliament. During the second reading of the 'Representation of the People's Bill', the Liberal Democrat MP told the Commons Chamber: "On overseas voters, as the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Citizens’ Rights, I have heard evidence that postal ballots sometimes arrive too late to be returned. The Bill is an opportunity to pilot secure solutions, such as secure downloadable ballots, and embassy or consulate returns via diplomatic bags, and I urge the Government to look into the benefits of overseas constituencies. People must be able to trust that their vote and voice matter."
The intervention comes after the APPG, which Friends of New Europeans UK hold the secretariat for, heard evidence suggesting that tens of thousands of British citizens living abroad may have been denied their right to vote in the last general election. A survey carried out by the British Overseas Voters Forum, New Europeans UK and Unlock Democracy looked at how well the postal system performed during the election. It found that voters across the world did not receive their ballot in time to be able to return it in in time to be counted. You can listen to the part of the MPs speech in which she focuses on overseas voters here:
