In Sapa, Vietnam

In Sapa, Vietnam

About Me

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Sharing time between Southampton and Noyal-Muzillac in southern Brittany. Sports coach, gardener, hockey player, cyclist and traveller. I studied an MA in Management and Organisational Dynamics at Essex University in 2016-17. Formerly an Operations Manager with NEC Technologies (UK) Ltd.

Tuesday 28 April 2015

And, being the returning officer for the under mentioned small group ofexpatriates ....

Walking Monday:     3.8km
Walking Tuesday:     3.9km
Swimming Tuesday: 1.25km

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The forthcoming British election has even come into the consciousness of the hockey team here, normally awareness of British news is limited to whichever football teams are playing on "Super Sunday", the annual England-France rugby match and the latest royal baby/marriage news. But on Sunday after the match Max asked me who was going to win. "Bit difficult to tell Max". He manfully stayed with me in my struggle with the French language to explain about UKIP ( a bit like the Front Nationale only without Marine Le Pen), why the LibDems were going to be rewarded for 5 years of coalition by losing most of their seats, how six months after losing the Scottish Referendum the SNP we're going to win lots more seats and why Labour weren't like French socialists at all. Eventually he drifted off to look at a new baby, which I kind of understand. 

British citizens moving overseas are allowed to vote in UK General Elections for 15 years after they leave the UK, if they register they can remain on the electoral roll in the last constituency they lived in.

 IF they register.

In the 2010 general election, of the estimated 2.3 million UK citizens living overseas just 23,000 were on the electoral roll. We registered last year, partly to exercise our right to vote, partly with an eye on a possible 2017 EU Membership Referendum which would have a huge effect on us living in France.

So, in a rerun of the Blackadder the third "Rotten Borough" election night parody ("it's been a good turnout, in fact the elector turned out before breakfast") we completed our postal votes last Sunday morning - we resisted setting up a curtained booth but otherwise just like a real vote. As well as the main three parties NE Hampshire has candidates from UKIP, the Greens and, first time ever, the Monster Raving Loony Party. A rich choice then.


Two votes on their way .......

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