Many people living on the Isle of Man may not be aware of their right to vote for the next government of the UK. The rules are quite simple: if you have been resident in the UK at any time in the last 15 years, you have the right to vote, even if you are now a full-time resident on the Isle of Man and registered as an elector here. Not many people are aware of this ’15 Year Rule’ and miss the opportunity to vote.
How many people this might apply to is difficult to determine. The 2006 census indicates that 29,785 residents, making up 37.2% of the population, were born in England. However, many of those will have been here for longer than 15 years.
Why is it important for the Isle of Man which government is in power in Westminster? This question hardly needs an answer, given the actions of the UK government over the past two years and their seemingly hardening attitude to the Isle of Man and the other offshore islands.
Much of our economy is affected by the UK government. Which sets the level of VAT, as well as taxes on fuel, alcohol and tobacco. Then there are the more indirect but equally vital issues that will affect the economy of the Isle of Man, the value of the pound (can the next UK government service its massive debt?); the cost of higher education (if university fees go up, either our government pays or students will be forced to fund fees themselves); the health of business in the UK (higher taxes means less trade and more unemployment).
If you fit into the 15 year ‘rule’ and wish to register, the easiest way is to visit the Electoral Commission website www.aboutmyvote.co.uk and scroll down to the link for Overseas Voters, where you can download application forms to register to vote at the last UK constituency or council area where you were resident. Alternatively, call the Commission on 020 7271 0500. Your application must be received by the appropriate returning officer (local council) by 20th April to enable you vote in person, by post or by proxy on May 6th.
However, before you rush off to cast your vote, there are a few other points to consider. Residents who have moved to the Isle of Man from the UK in recent years may need to take advice before registering. Ceasing to be tax resident in the UK takes careful planning which should not be jeopardised. Having taken care to sever ties with the UK, for example, by selling property, closing bank accounts and carefully counting days spent in the UK the process should not, in most cases, be compromised by reviving an affiliation with a former community.
Managing Director of PKF (Isle of Man) LLC, Phillip Dearden says, ‘If any new resident is thinking of registering to vote, they may wish to take some advice on whether that would be a good thing from a UK tax point of view’.
Our thanks to Sue Green of ‘Box of Books’, Windsor Road/Richmond Grove, (Tel. 615430) and PKF (Isle of Man) (Tel. 652000) for their assistance with this article.
