Many decades ago, I read a short story where the downfall of western civilization was triggered when it came out that the governments were suppressing a cure for cancer - because of the catastrophic effect the cure would have on public pensions/social security would have bankrupted the governments. When it came to light, the resulting civil unrest caused the western governments to collapse and things simply went downhill from there.
At the time I considered the whole premise horribly far-fetched. Now I'm not so sure...

Ian 16th Same here: My RAF and State Pensions are still summed and taxed at source in U.K. , however no representation. British Democracy in action toward its citizens who chose to retire in certain countries.

That's the choice you make.........

Some countries allow people to vote if they aren't in country, some don't - tho' I notice the ones that do are often the ones that tax you on your world-wide income

IIRC the UK doesn't allow it because historically there were so many long-term Brits overseas it was felt they had no day-to-day understanding of the issues

(plus of course most of them voted Tory)

Yes, Jersey taxes all global income.
Our RAF and State pensions are paid gross [and then taxed here].
Registered overseas voters [just renewed!].
Proud recipient of £10 Xmas Bonus, but no Winter fuel allowance :(

I see our Winter fuel payment as a vey small tax rebate. Why on Earth would one refuse to accept it?

For Australians, voting is compulsory irrespective of where they are.

Australia election: Why is voting compulsory? - BBC News

Because I made a choice, in spite of the rules, do not make the rules equitable or fair.

If someone points a gun at you and says, 'I'll shoot you if you move'.

You move, and he shoots and kills you, it is still murder, in spite of the warning!

The UK state pension payment system is inequitable, unfair and should be changed.

Asylum seekers and illegal immigrants get treated better than British, fully paid up, state pensioners, who happen to live in the wrong post code.

Steady on Highlander😂

Hey Snippy; a man's got to have an ambition; and perhaps a hobby. :)

Discussing my career aspirations a few years back with my Gp Capt, I said my main aspiration was to draw more in RAF pensions than I had in pay.

He initially thought I was taking the mickey until the cogs turned and gave a wry smile when he worked it out.

"Because I made a choice, in spite of the rules, do not make the rules equitable or fair."

We all have to learn to live with the consequences of our actions or as my dear old Mum used to say " you can't have everything".

I choose to base in the UK and pay more tax and suffer from the weather - there are always alternatives, such as Dubai, but you have to take the picture as whole

I couldn't agree more. I think the rules should be changed to the simple and patently fair formula:

If you live in the UK you can vote and draw your state pension. If you don't, then you should be able to do niether.

What could be fairer than that?

PDR

Also, RAFG in the 70's and 80's. Great fun but I wouldn't wish my liver on anyone. But for my wife, it would be my lungs too!

So,according to your logic, a person who has worked and paid in all their working life, then leaves on retirement, should receive no National Pension.
Conversely ,I logically presume by your statement, anybody coming to live in the country under the reverse condition (having contributed nothing) should then be entitled to vote and also get a pension.

Well, if Mr. Corbyn, Ms Abbott et al. get elected, I expect you will get your desire.

No, I'd be happy to restrict the pension rights to people who have paid sufficient NI *AND* live in the UK. I'd even go so far as to say that after retirement you can have 3 months of the year out of the UK without affecting that right. See - I am the model of reasonableness.

But if you don't want to live here then live on your non-state pension and/or your wealth. I see no reason why UK residents should subsidise your lifestyle choices.

PDR

PDR - we in UK are short of housing. We have an NHS that is swamped. Moving abroad eases the load. So why financially penalise those who paid in, vacate a house and are no longer a burden on the health service?

So who was subsidising whose retirement lifestyles during the 40 years plus may of us paid in monthly during our working lives, whilst taking nothing out?

The don't pay out for people overseas argument probably doesn't stack up.

Take state pension, multiply by life expectancy after 65/65/67 and you probably arrive at a few hundred thousand pounds. I'd suggest the cost of looking after one extra elderly person (NHS/care/other services) wipes out quite a few state pensions, so if you penalise people for living overseas and they instead stay in the UK you'll pretty quickly end up on the wrong side of the money curve...

PDR Fine by me, no pension for us so none of my NI payments for you. When we leave we sign away our pension rights, you hand us our NI contributions and a sum to cover the amount we save the NHS. We wave goodbye.
By the way don't forget a sum to cover the amount we will save the in the cost for care etc but as I have no wish to bankrupt the country you can keep that.