Author Archives: Tom McAdam

Tom McAdam

Citizens abroad and party strategy

By Tom McAdam | Thu 24th September 2026 - 11:15 am

There were many things to support in the party strategy motion. It includes confident liberalism, modern campaigning, and reaching new communities. However, there is one notable exclusion. In fact, around five million notable exclusions: citizens abroad.

The strategy talks about reaching out to all communities in our country. These five million people are not in the UK, but they are served by our democracy. I live in Switzerland now, having moved for a job. Yet decisions made in Westminster continue to affect my life.

The starkest of those in recent years was of course Brexit. Many of the million British citizens living and working in Europe spent years in limbo after the referendum, not knowing what residency status they would eventually be afforded in the country in which they had built a life. We continue to see Britons being removed from EU countries, most recently Charles, a British citizen deported from Sweden.

All because of a decision made in Westminster. 

It doesn’t stop there. A pensioner retiring to Australia from the UK in 2006 would now receive less than half the basic State Pension of a pensioner who stayed in the UK, despite having made exactly the same contributions.

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 2 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • David Allen
    Another "why are we going nowhere" lament. Another series of proposals to make an instant breakthrough to mass public adulation, either by loudly advocating bo...
  • Nonconformistradical
    "As an aside, “Who will you be deporting, how many and to where?" Good question...
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    I love this well written piece that captures the essence of all the arguments. We have to address the widening wealth gaps with relevant taxes and the loss of ...
  • expats
    @Roland 5th Nov '26 - 4:48pm..Err no, it actually needs fewer people; just that Westminster politicians are too scared to face the truth that they have been gro...
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    "It ticked all the boxes" Unfortunately, all American campaign speeches sound like the speech writer has taken the expression literally....