Why I can’t vote today – and why you should!

Today’s the UK General Election. Have you voted yet?

I must admit, I’ve never really been a politics person. When I lived in the US, I voted not because I wanted to but because I felt I had to. One of those rare instances in life where peer pressure was a force for good, I guess.

Today’s General Election is the first time I’ve ever felt like I wanted to vote. And I can’t.

I’m not allowed to vote because I’m one of those nasty immigrants some of the parties have warned you about. You know, the ones with too many rights and who take advantage of the system?

Sure, I like to call myself an “expat” – but that’s just a euphemism for immigrant – it sounds nicer. Nobody ever said: “Those expats are stealing our jobs” or “Look at all those expats scrounging on benefits”.

I don’t want to get too political here – I don’t think my little blog is the place for it. But I would like to point out that:

• I’m an immigrant who has worked for all but about three months of her eleven years in the country.
• I’m an immigrant who has only used the NHS a handful of times. Mainly to either get birth control or to give birth to a little British citizen.
• The only benefits I have ever received have been child benefit for my British-citizen daughter.
• I have never committed a crime during my time in the UK.
• I’ve paid the UK government more than £4,000 for visas to remain in the country legally. Nationalisation will cost me another £1,000 or so.
• I have passed a test – one that most Brits would fail – in order to prove that I understand the UK’s culture and history sufficiently to obtain nationality.
• I’ve had it easy compared to many immigrants who come here. Trust me, it’s not a simple process – and I wasn’t trying to escape poverty or famine or war or genocide.

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I’m not saying that I should have the right to vote either. It would be chaos if everyone who lived here had the right to vote, so I accept that a line must be drawn somewhere. That line is citizenship, and I haven’t yet reached that point. Fine.

What I am saying is that, having lived here for so long and been a contributing member of society, it’s frustrating that I still don’t have a voice. And it’s even more frustrating to see people who do have that voice NOT use it.

So, whatever your political stance – even if you hate nasty immigrants like me – please, go and make sure your voice is heard.

Even if it means you have to bundle up several screaming children, and squeeze everyone into a tiny voting booth. Do it.

Because, trust me, it sucks when it’s not an option.