to think if EU citizens can vote in local elections if they live here and if Commonwealth Citizens can vote in General Elections,

[cakeorwine]

then what's the issue with EU citizens who live here, pay taxes here etc voting in General Elections?

I don't here people complaining about EU citizens voting in local elections.

But the proposal for EU citizens to vote in general elections seems to have upset the Tories. For some reason.

Who can vote in UK elections? - House of Commons Library (parliament.uk)

Keir Starmer to hand vote to millions of EU nationals if Labour wins next election | Politics | News | Express.co.uk

Under the plans, migrants who live permanently and pay taxes in the UK would be able to vote in general elections for the first time.
The move is expected to enfranchise around 3.4 million EU nationals who have "settled status" in Britain
Meanwhile, 1.4 million 16 and 17-year-olds would also be able to go to the ballot box in line with Scotland and Wales.

It’s not that hard to see that it’s a form of gerrmymandering. Creating a voter pool that helps get you elected on the future.

A bit like when women got the vote?
Or people who didn't own a house getting the vote?

Extending the vote to people who have a stake in this country, who pay taxes etc.

I completely support these proposals. It’s ridiculous that people can live here and pay taxes and a full part in the life of the country, but can’t vote.

IIRC you lose your right to vote if you don’t live here for a while, so only fair that people who do live here can vote.

Don’t get me started on the ridiculous citizenship exam that most British-born people would fail, either!

The Mail and Express seem upset - yet if people live here and if they have decided to settle / are making contributions, then why not give them the chance to have a say in how this country is run?

My mother has lived here for nearly 60 years, had 25 years working as a nurse in the NHS, and can’t vote in general elections. Meanwhile, I have students from commonwealth countries here for three years, and fully planning to return to their home countries, who can do so.

You don't understand what the word gerrmymandering means.

You mean like voter id and ensuring that there are only many forms of accepted I'd in your voter pool?

Personally, I think if you pay tax youbshould be able to vote.

@Swrigh1234 no taxation without representation, that's the principle here.

Who says EU nationals wouldn't vote Tory? Some absolutely would.

I love how shit scared the Tories are that they are going to lose power. They deserve decades in the wilderness after everything they've done in the last 13 years.

I’ve been in the UK for 25 years and paying tax from Day 1, and yet I cannot vote in general elections and of course could not vote the referendum. It’s awful and makes you feel really unwanted. And there’s no double nationality agreement with my country origin so if I nationalised British I’d lose my nationality of birth.

Part of me can imagine the Daily Mail getting upset in the past when women were given the vote.

Or people who weren't landowners.

It upsets the tories as EU citizens are less likely to be forelock tugging, flag shagging, tory sycophants.

It’s not gerrymandering to allow people who live, work and pay tax in this country to vote and have a say in policy.

It’s incredibly ignorant to think everyone would vote the same way because they are foreign nationals at birth.

I think most of us would be happy with a compromise if we would need EUSS (not pre settled) to vote so people who have long term interests vote not passing workers. I think
It would be actually nice to be able to have more say than about local! But I understand this is a case in most countries sadly. It would be nice though....

A lot of europe is much further to the right than we are despite our current government. Eastern europe in particular.

I think EU citizens are very small government, own businesses, work hard, 'I came over here with nothing' type of demographic and that is essentially quite tory

I have lived and contributed here for 20 years, I see this as the place I will take my last breath, this is home. I am not allowed to have a say in general electrons and it upsets me. Therefore I have saved up every penny and am applying to become a British citizen. It costs around £1500 and I have to pass tests my British husband doesn’t understand the questions to. C’est la vie.

I agree Op.

FWIW/context/ this isn't a uniquely British phenomenon.

Paying tax/being resident for decades doesn't entitle you to vote in many tiers of many elections in many countries (including some in the EU), including parliamentary or Presidential elections.

It's often only Citizenship that counts.

Myself, Dutch dh and dd all went to vote together in local elections last week. Dh has paid higher rate tax here for 30 years but still can’t vote in GE.

Flag shagging - love it! An addition to my vocabulary! 😀

Can non Dutch citizens living in the Netherlands vote in national elections? I can’t think of a country that has extended the franchise to non citizens.

It would be the same for a British resident in the Netherlands too. It is not exceptional.

I am much more unhappy with 16/17 year olds voting tbh. Although all the ones I know would vote Liberal or Green so not not a gain for Labour.

TBH I don’t know, probably not. It doesn’t matter anymore for us anyway, as we are moving back to Europe next year.

I’ve not lived in the UK for years and have lost my right to vote in elections. Initially I was a bit put out but tbf it’s perfectly reasonable.

I do have some sympathy with the idea of a minimum period of residency and then the ability to vote but the idea that it should only be extended to EU nationals is a bit off. Why not anyone from anywhere who has lived in the UK for 5 years in that case? Or 10 years. I’m not sure a two tier system reflects well on the UK that someone who is a French national could vote but a person who is a Nigerian national couldn’t even though they have been resident in the Uk for the same period. Ofcourse there are historical reasons for it but I think you would find there would be pressure to extend the franchise wider. I’m not saying it’s a terrible idea but it would require a lot of thought,

Yes I was 16, I wouldn’t have let me vote. I really wouldn’t have had full grasp of the issues. As I get older I increasingly think we should raise voting age to 25.

Given the track record of the UK electorate in recent years, I am more inclined to trust the young. And I am 55.