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.

Well are you talking about financial /banking whizz kids who’d vote Tory or plumbers who ,come to think about it, are often self employed and also vote Tory.
This could backfire….

Fladdermus
It upsets the tories as EU citizens are less likely to be forelock tugging, flag sh...

Flag waving? Wasn't Keir Starmer going on about flying our flag the other day? I thought Labour was the 'true party of patriotism'?

I agree they live here, oat taxes here and are committed to this country they should be able to view. I think they much more right to vote here than British people who live abroad and have no intention of returning but can still vote here. It seems very unfair

What you're really saying is that a group of people who are currently denied the right to vote shouldn't be given it because your preferred political party might then not do as well.

This is exactly the same argument that people gave when trying to get women and black people the vote!!

You can't keep a democratic vote back from people just because it's easier for your interests to stop them.

I've lived and paid tax in Europe and Asia with no right to vote. I don't think any non UK citizens should vote here.

The Daily Mail were indeed upset when women got the vote. They actually coined the term ‘suffragette’, although it was meant to be dismissive and insulting.

The argument that "other countries don't do this so we can't do this" is a strange one.

Many years ago, women were not allowed the vote in many countries. I guess that if this was still the case, and someone suggested that women have the vote, and people said "well, they're not allowed the vote in other countries so we shouldn't do it here" would be shot down.

Change only happens if someone is the first to do it. Otherwise nothing changes.

It’s to firm Labour success so the argument goes both ways.

Obviously if you’re a Labour supporter you’ll be keen.

cakeorwine
The argument that "other countries don't do this so we can't do this" is a strange one

It's not strange at all when we voted to leave the EU and negotiations are still ongoing with regard to reciprocal rights. It's also somewhat contradictory with Starmer's claim about protecting the British way of life a few days ago.

It's hardly reasonable to include children and non UK citizens to vote / make decisions for the UK, so that labour can secure it's voting future. Which is what they're doing. No PR though. Which would actually be a fair thing to do.

Although labour is good at attempting to secure long term votes for themselves one way or another. It didn't work out so well for them in Scotland though did it.

Can foreign residents vote in your home country without becoming citizens?

Being resident doesn't make you 'committed' to a country. If they are so 'committed' why don't they take up citizenship?

Indeed.

This. It's not just a UK rule. If people want to vote then become a UK citizen.

Good response. I don't think many 16 years old would want to vote anyway. Voter lethargy is highest among 18-25 year olds. Middle aged and older people are more likely to vote.

Yes it's not the UK preventing you from having fuel nationality.

What is a (or the] 'British way of life' is not a fixed thing that everyone agrees about. My granny who reads the Daily Express would say it is something different from what I would say.

On the flip side, older people (particularly those 70+) are far more likely than 16 year olds to be taken in by fake news, and are the demographic with the highest turnout rate in elections.

If we’re setting boundaries based solely on how informed a group is, then we should be considering an upper threshold too.

What, you mean like this.....

You've got to marvel at this crock of shite tory government haven't you? That incompetent they can't even rig elections in their own favour.

On the flip side, older people (particularly those 70+) are far more likely than 16 year olds to be taken in by fake news, and are the demographic with the highest turnout rate in elections.

Interesting. Can you post your evidence that those 70 plus are more likely to be taken in by fake news?

The initial suggestion to remove the vote for even local election for EU citizens post-Brexit was what drove me to become a British citizen in the end.

I have always resented paying taxes but not being able to vote in general elections, which have a profound impact on my work and my everyday life. Should it have taken the best part of £2000 and 2 years (taking into account paperwork, exams and the time to take my paw prints) to gain citizenship, given at the time I was married to a Brit, with British children, in an essential job as a net taxpayer, here for over 10 years at that point? Probably not.

I would put a time stamp on it, though. Here for fewer than 5 years, that's rarely really settled. It does beg the question, though, why this is just EU citizens we're talking about. IMO anyone who can prove to be settled here should be able to cast a vote.

Asking for voter ID for citizens to prove who they are, is not the same as expanding the pool of voters to include children and non UK citizens. If people want to vote, then they should become citizens.

Your poster boy was literally just recorded publicly admiting, to the world, that the voter I.D. legislation brought in by the tories was an attempt to gerrymander elections in the tories favour and here you are denying it.

I would say unbelievable but, at this point, the tories could sacrifice a new born baby on the steps of parliament at midday and those who still support them would pretend it didn't happen.

CharlottenBerg
What is a (or the] 'British way of life' is not a fixed thing that everyone agrees about. My granny who reads the Daily Express would say it is something different from what I would say.

I know what it's not (according to Starmer);
"Not some kind of patronising contempt for those who fly our flag."