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.Gordon Brown questioned on overseas soldiers' being given the opportunity to vote back home.
An MP has called on unelected Labour government Prime Minister Gordon Brown to ensure our overseas service personnel can vote by post in the upcoming general election.
Newbury Conservative MP Richard Benyon said during Prime Minister's Questions that postal trials by the Army Families Federation had revealed limitations.
He said it was unlikely the majority of soldiers overseas would be able to vote in the upcoming election.
Mr Brown said the government was making the "best arrangements possible".
Mr Benyon said it was a "perverse situation" that people were fighting abroad so that others could vote, but that right was being denied to them.
He said: "It is absolutely right that everyone should have the chance to cast their vote in every election."
Members of the Armed Forces are able to register as a "service voter", linking them to a fixed address in the country for three years to allow flexibility when posted overseas.
Those personnel abroad on election day can apply to vote by post or proxy, though the Electoral Commission recommends by proxy.
However the Army Families Federation has said not everyone has a person they can trust to be a proxy voter, and that postal ballot papers are not arriving in enough time for them to be returned.
In recent trials between Wiltshire,England, and Germany, papers were not returned in time, a spokesperson said.
The Electoral Commission's website says: "If you're based abroad, you need to be aware that, due to election timetables, you may not receive your ballot paper until shortly before election day.
"Depending on where you're based, there may not be enough time for you to return your ballot before voting closes (10pm on election day), so voting by post may not be the best way for you to vote.
"In these circumstances we would encourage you to appoint a proxy in the country to vote on your behalf."
There are currently around 13,700 of our troops deployed on operations overseas with 9,500 of those based in Afghanistan.
Funny isn't it, the other day Iraqis were able to vote in England for people in their own country after the government were able to set up voting centres in England at short notice. So why can't the Labour run Government set up polling stations at our bases in the places that our troops are serving?. Maybe it is because most of our troops won't be voting for a sleazy Labour run government that has let them down VERY, VERY, badly.
