EU citizens living long term in the UK should have had say yesterday?

[FarAwayHills]

We have many friends from the EU that have lived and worked here long term, are married to UK citizens and their children were born here - yet they had no right to vote yesterday in such a huge decision that will affect their lives.

Meanwhile, I know friends and family living abroad long term(outside the EU) who were able to vote on something that is unlikely to impact directly on them.

Isn't this all a bit unfair? AIBU

YANBU, I don't think.

In the scottish indyref1, it was people living in Scotland wasn't it, who had the vote

I think so Through

People I know living abroad currently celebrating their 'leave victory' vote on FB are really getting on my nerves right now

YANBU, re this referendum and any other elections. If foreigners are deemed worthy of paying taxes, they should have a say in how their money gets spent, British nationals or not.

It is possible to become a British citizen after however many years and be allowed to vote. I think it costs about 1k and that's why I and most of my friends haven't done it as it makes no difference with anything else apart from voting. As the results of the referendum are what they are, I wish I could have voted.

Yanbu

The opinion of people living and working and paying taxes here matters more than the opinion of the ex-pats who gave up our country but still claim pensions etc from us

JoJo The cost and time involved would have prohibited most from applying for citizenship. It seems totally bonkers to give an expat who hasn't lived here for years a vote while someone living here and paying taxes had none.

Well I am an expat who hasn't lived in the UK for years and I didn't get a vote. I think that is unfair though as the vote directly affected me and my family.

Well I guess any EU citizen who has lived here long term has had the option of getting British citizenship? Maybe they should have done that if they wanted to be able to vote.

What do class as paying tax though? You mean earning a wage and paying tax through that?

If earning a wage paying tax is the qualifying criteria That would mean some people who are UK citizens can't vote either. What about sahp? Or people that can only find part time work and under the threshold? People who are disabled and unable to work?

I am not sure how I feel about it to be honest. I can see both sides.