Trying to establish my MP’s stance on the referendum

Rebecca Pow is the sitting MP for Taunton Deane, the constituency I last voted in, having succeeded the retiring LibDem MP at the last election. She is currently undecided according to the Spectator list, but her track record on EU integration votes suggest she is against further EU integration.

Her voting record on “they work for you” shows she seems to stick closely to a party line. Of further interest was her comment about not allowing 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote  (18 June 2015).

Rebecca Pow on They Work For You

How did the Austrian press view the announcement of the referendum date?

I tried to gauge the Austrian opinion from some of the quality papers also with a particular slant on looking at what their readers comments say. Readers who speak German might like to bookmark Der Standard (www.derstandard.at) – its stories seem to generate the most comments, albeit also with the highest number of trolls. Apparently Austria wants Britain to stay in the EU, although some forum trolls might suggest otherwise (they might need to get out of their cellars a bit more often…). Continue reading “How did the Austrian press view the announcement of the referendum date?”

The Spectator: the yes, no and undecided Tories

A piece on the website of the Spectator in its blogs section, published on 16th February, ahead of the official announcement about the referendum, lists the Conservative MPs in the various camps “Yes”, “No” and “undecided”. The list pre-dates the actual announcement of the referendum date – I note that the list does not have the Attorney General’s stance listed correctly. Continue reading “The Spectator: the yes, no and undecided Tories”

The EU referendum – one of the biggest political decisions of my life…

A flatmate from University posted a provoking question on Sunday on Facebook, which I answered.

I have spent the last hour or so reading a variety of articles on EU referendum. I feel like this is the biggest political decision of my life. And I am on the fence. What are your thoughts?

Continue reading “The EU referendum – one of the biggest political decisions of my life…”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to vote at the British Embassy in Vienna!”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to vote at the British Embassy in Vienna!”

After three days of the news breaking of the date for the referendum, I woke up in the middle of the night and took a look at a thread on the Facebook Group “British in Vienna and the Surrounding Areas” – a Facebook group which I try to hold at arm’s length, like many other Facebook groups, because of the some of the bizarre posts that pop up on a regular basis. The group means well – and is at least more level-headed than the toxic Foreigners in Vienna, but from time to time trolls surface. From one user’s very reasonable question about how/where can I vote in/from Vienna – a valid concern for many an Expat with a UK passport – the old chestnut of “Voting at the Embassy” popped up. Other countries may do this, but our electoral system does not make this a realistic prospect. I’d already had SMSes from three Expats asking or presuming that they woulld be able to vote at the embassy. My reply was as follows: Continue reading ““Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to vote at the British Embassy in Vienna!””