During a debate on the UK’s Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, Lexden said: "My principal purpose is to draw attention to a grave injustice that afflicts large numbers of our fellow countrymen and women living overseas and is keenly felt by many of them," Lord Lexden said.
Lexden highlighted Institute for Public Policy Research, which revealed that 20% of expats leave the country for life in retirement and many of those expect to spend more than 15 years overseas.
He also found strong support from fellow Conservative peers, Lord Norton of Louth and Lord Flight, who has lived overseas.
In his reply to Lexden, the minister, Lord Gardiner of Kimble, said that the 15-year limit “remains under consideration within government”.
Lord Lexden said: “I listened with particular care to the minister’s speech and noted one or two encouraging points. Overall, however, I listened with some disappointment."
Currently, expats who live abroad are removed of their vote after 15 years spent overseas but campaigners claim this is discriminatory. Elsewhere in the EU, 22 out of 27 countries allow their expatriate citizens the right to vote without any restriction on the period of residence outside the home country.
