Letter: The disenfranchised citizens of Europe

Sir: Leonard Doyle's article 'Britain lags in helping foreigners to vote' (26 May) strikes a bell with me. I am a Dutch citizen who has lived in this country for 40 years and I was so pleased to think that I would be able to vote here during the MEP elections this month. I fully expected to get all the information on how to apply via extensive and repeated articles in newspapers, on television, radio, etc. None came my way.

I went to the local Citizens' Advice Bureau in mid-April, only to learn that an application for registration should have been sent to the local authority by 29 March. Due to lack of information, I have been disenfranchised.

On 4 April, I wrote to the Home Office to lodge my complaint about this. I am still awaiting an acknowledgement, let alone a reply. I wonder if other 'foreigners' have had similar experiences?

Yours faithfully,

J. DE VOS

Yateley, Hampshire

1 June