Swedes living abroad have a “more intercultural perspective”, a Social Democrats representative said during a debate in London.

• Sweden's PM far ahead of opposition rivals

With the Swedish general election only months away, and a large number of possible voters in London, the Swedish parties currently represented in the Parliament gathered for a debate, hosted by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce.

Some 100,000 Swedes live in London, making the UK capital “Sweden’s sixth largest city”. According to the organization Svenskar i Världen (Swedes in the World) approximately half a million Swedes live abroad, which could be compared with the country’s total population of nine million.

Swedes living abroad remain in the electoral register, and so maintain their right to vote. In the last election, in 2006, 60 percent more Swedes in London went to the polls than in the 2002 election. This year the Embassy expects a further increase and will set up one more polling station, in the Swedish School in Barnes.

The debate was the first ever pre-election debate aimed at Swedes living in the UK and was held at the Swedish Embassy.

“It is always fun to the soak up the atmosphere abroad. To see what the perspective on Sweden is from the Swedes living here. It is a more intercultural perspective”, Kenneth G Forslund, representative for the Social Democrats said during the debate.

Representing the Moderate Party was Per Schlingmann. He emphasised the prospect of a close race in the Swedish election. “Every vote will be important this fall. And we also wish to paint a positive picture of Sweden so that the people living here one day will return.”

The other parties were represented by Agneta Börjesson, the Green Party, Anders Flanking, the Centre Party, Maria Larsson, the Christian Democrats and Johan Pehrson, the Liberal Party. Alice Åström from the Left Party was not able to attend the debate.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt remains by far the most popular candidate to lead Sweden after an upcoming election, according to a poll. But the the left-wing opposition parties would likely come out victorious over Reinfeldt's right-leaning governing coalition, another poll said.