As the Party continues its rebranding exercise, Francis Maude, Conservative Party Chairman, looks at the future of Conservatives Abroad

It gives me great pleasure to pen the first blog on the new Conservatives Abroad website. Conservatives Abroad, along with the rest of the Conservative Party is changing, and I am excited about the impact that it will have in the upcoming years, as we head towards the next General Election.

A report in the Independent newspaper this summer suggested that there are over 4.5 million Britons living outside of the UK throughout the world, from the 615,000 living in Australia to the 300 residing in Mongolia.

These numbers are only going to increase. Figures suggest that 200,000 people will be moving away from the UK in each of the next three years.

It is these people who could have a profound influence on the next General Election. Our research has shown that of 4.5 million Brits living outside the UK, 2.5 million of them have the right to vote in the UK Parliamentary and European elections under the overseas voting laws.

However, at the last election, only 17,780 of them had registered to vote. This means that less than 1% of the people who could register to vote have done so – an astonishingly low figure.

There are huge numbers of votes to be won from ex-pats, and I believe that Conservatives Abroad can help to win them.

Every poll predicts the result of the next election to be extremely close; so every vote that the Conservative Party can gain is crucial – and this includes the expat vote.

Imagine if 10% of expats who can vote from abroad, voted Conservative. This is an extra 250,000 votes spread across constituencies throughout the country. These votes could play a massive role in the Conservative Party winning many swing seats and returning to Government.

How is the Party going to make sure people living overseas register to vote? How is the Party going to persuade them to vote Conservative?

The answer to both of these questions is Conservatives Abroad.

In the past Conservatives Abroad has had a big influence on expat voting, for example, in 1992, it is said that expats helped the Conservatives win at least six marginal seats.

It is time for Conservatives Abroad to have that impact again.

How is Conservatives Abroad going to have this impact?

The answer is through a new website, campaigns, advertising, and YOU the members.

With the launch of this new website, Conservatives Abroad will build a community of members and supporters across the world, building upon the excellent branch system already in place.

It will listen to the voice of its members, many of whom still have family and friends in the mother country.

It will become a friendly resource point, not only for people already living abroad, but for people preparing to leave the UK. A place where they can gain essential information to assist with moving.

We will run interactive websites where we grapple with the hot topics of the day.

Senior party figures will set out future policies and answer your questions.

We will run campaigns to tell Britons living abroad how to register to vote in UK Parliamentary and European elections.

Tell your friends about Conservatives Abroad. Tell your friends that they have the right to vote in UK elections. Tell your friends to register to vote.

David Cameron and the Conservative Party can win the next General Election – Conservatives Abroad can help make this a reality.

The Rt. Hon. Francis Maude MP, is Chairman of the Conservative Party and Member of Parliament for Horsham.