everyone living in the UK should get to vote on EU ref

[agentEgypt]

Just heard on the radio that EU migrants won't be allowed to vote. This seems very unfair as many could have been here and laying tax for decades!

if cypriot, maltese and irish expats are allowed to vote, all eu expats should be, imo.

imo everyone legally on the electoral roll should be able to vote.

Ah. I'd always assumes Ireland was in the Commonwealth. I can see why it might not wish to be. To be honest, arguments of reciprocity re voting rights in the UK do tend to ignore history somewhat I think.

Sorry but this is all about racism. STILL.

The more I cogitate this ridiculous comment the more annoying it is. Somali refugees who are now British citizens get to vote, but a blonde, blue eyed Swede who is over here for a few years from Ikea HQ doesn't. And you scream racism!!

Do you realise the damage you do by crying wolf. When real racism occurs, which it does frequently, complaints about it are devalued by the foolishness of people crying out racism when it's nothing of the kind.

Isn't Ireland part of the Commonwealth?
I think the Queen is the Head of State of Commonwealth countries or something like that. Wouldn't be popular in Ireland.

GeorgeYeatsAutomaticWriter - Can British citizens vote in Irish General Elactions? Yes.

Thanks for info. Can other EU citizens? I genuinely don't know. Seems unfair if fhey can't

imo everyone legally on the electoral roll should be able to vote

Are there different electoral rolls for national and local elections? If so, as a PP helpfully explained re Scotland, an EU referendum would be a national vote, not local and would have to have the same electorate as a national General Elaection.

To be honest, arguments of reciprocity re voting rights in the UK do tend to ignore history somewhat I think.

I know what you mean but we should start to ignore history now. With mass migration from other EU countries to both UK and Ireland the current "special arrangement" seems a bit unfair and maybe discriminatory.

No, other EU citizens can't currently vote in Irish general elections.

The provision exists by ministerial order if other EU countries extend the same right to Irish citizens though.

The Queen is only Head of State in 16 of the 53 Commonwealth countries. Of the remaining members, 32 are republics and 5 are monarchies with a different monarch.

The Queen is the Head of the Commonwealth, but that won't automatically pass on to her successor to the British Crown.

Favourite Dress, yes different rule. I'm EU citizen, and get to vote in the local and European elections. Not in the general.

I understand to have the right to vote in general elections restricted to British citizens, but Britain has the added thing where commonwealth citizens also get to vote in the general elections, which besides other countries, also means that citizens of 3 EU countries get to vote in the general, while all the others EU citizens are excluded, even though they have great stakes in this one. And all of that because of remnants of the Great long gone British Empire.

Thank you - George - That's interesting.

Er why should non-citizens be allowed to vote?

Possibly because citizens of Malta and Ireland can vote in the referendum.

In the General election lots of citizens of commonwealth countries can vote.

I don't think it's automatic that a citizen of a Commonwealth Country can vote?

My Australian friend couldn't vote in the General Election and has lived in the UK for over a decade.

Your Australian friend probably should have been able to vote: does he/she have leave to remain? To qualify, Commonwealth citizens must have leave to remain: you can't just register to vote because you happen to be here on holiday. But after a decade I would have thought they would eligible.

So we have citizens of 4 EU countries (Gibralter, Cyprus, Malta and Ireland) that will be probably be able to vote in an EU referendum, when (well, in Ireland's case anyway) it won't affect their freedom of movement, right to live in UK etc. But all other EU citizens living in UK will not have a vote when it will affect them?

Interesting.

It is exactly right. and all other EU nations apply the same rules.

RedToothbrush of course it isn't racist.
Ridiculous.

(In which case so is every other country in the world being constitutionally racist not to allow anyone living there to vote?)

Cinder

She does have leave to remain. I didn't question her on it and suppose it's not beyond the realms of possibility I misundersood at the time!

A colleague of mine is from Eastern Europe (only able to vote in local elections) and shocked me to my core when she said she'd vote conservative in a GA if she was able to! Pretty into politics and had read the manifestos etc. Couldn't work that out.

Would anyone spare a thought for UK citizens currently living in the EU?

They'll have a vote, won't they? So long as they have lived outside the UK for less than 15 years.

all other EU nations apply the same rules.

No. UK allows citizens of 4 other EU nations living here to vote in GEs. It seems most other EU nations allow none.

It's inconsistent.

Should be all or none. Especially on issue about EU.

I'm also not eligible for any UK benefits any more.

How long have you been gone? You may be surprised to hear that you can put in a claim for certain UK benefits up to 10 years after moving to another EU country.

People who are allowed to vote in European elections surely should get a vote in the referendum. Excluding those who have most to lose is inherently unfair. Especially when Commonwealth nationals resident in the UK,who arguably have the least stake in this do get to vote.

Have written to my MP about this. Wonder if he'll even bother replying

I'm surprised people think this decision won't affect Ireland. It could potentially have a massive impact on them, especially when the 'leave' vote seems to be so motivated by reinstating border controls for EU migrants. They'd have to do the same, thus leaving the EU, or have tight border controls between them and the UK. Otherwise we'd be saying no to migrants but leaving the back door wide open for them.

Just read this today and feel a bit narked by it.

As a British Citizen living in Ireland (that's not in the Commonwealth!!) I can vote, unlike other EU citizens in all elections except Presidential and Referendum. On the electoral role I'm marked 'Dáil'.

It was my understanding that there was an agreement between Ireland and Britain that their citizens could vote in all elections once there was the equivalent in each country. Hence why there was no Referendum or Presidencial vote for me here.

If this is the case that Irish Citizens can vote in a referendum in Britain, then I blooming want the same here!!

I disagree with you OP. Whether they have worked and paid tax in the UK for years is not the point. They are not British citizens and the decision is for British citizens to make, not anyone else.