It is obviously disappointing that the new Representation of the People Bill makes no mention of proportional representation. In a modern democracy, it is frankly absurd that we cling to a system where millions of votes simply do not count. Fairer representation benefits all citizens, and its absence is a glaring omission.

But even within the confines of our current system, the Bill fails to address the most crying injustices faced by British citizens living abroad.

No improvements for voting from abroad

The policy summaries are full of warm words about "modernising" our elections, yet for the millions of us living overseas, the Victorian-era infrastructure remains untouched. 

The 2024 general election review made it abundantly clear that the current system is broken, with less than half of overseas ballots being returned in time. Thousands of overseas voters were effectively disenfranchised because their postal ballots arrived too late to be returned in time. Its recommendation that "A system capable of reliably allowing eligible voters to cast their ballot must be in place in time for the next general election" has been ignored. 

In its response to the Electoral Commission's report on the 2024 General Election, the Goverment said "Overseas electors are legitimate voters who should be able to exercise their vote without unnecessary barriers", yet its Bill contains nothing to remove the barriers. No electronic distribution of ballots (even just to print at home), no extension of timetables, and no ability to vote at embassies. We continue to be treated as an afterthought.

We heard of countless stories during the election of people desparately trying to get their postal vote back. Some resorted to couriering from Australia, others could only hope, without success, their ballot turned up with enough time to be returned. Voting from abroad shouldn't be a lottery.

Automatic voter registration... but not for us

One of the headline measures is improving voter registration through automated processes. The government plans to use data from other public services to automatically add people to the register.

This is a good step... for those living in the UK. But it seemingly excludes overseas voters entirely. The government holds plenty of data on us: passport renewals, student loan repayments, tax returns. None of this appears to be in scope for helping us register. We will seemingly still be stuck with the manual, repetitive declaration that catches so many people out.

No overseas constituencies

Finally, there is still no move towards overseas constituencies. Countries like France and Italy have dedicated MPs representing their citizens abroad, ensuring their unique concerns, from pensions, healthcare, citizens' rights, are heard in parliament.

Instead, my vote is cast in a constituency I may not have lived in for decades, for an MP who has no reason to care about the specific issues affecting the British diaspora. It dilutes the local vote for residents and gives me a representative who cannot effectively represent me. It is a system that fails everyone.

We need to fix voting from abroad, not just tinker around the edges. This Bill was the chance to do it, and it looks like that chance has been squandered.