How can our candidate not live in this country?

[ShadeofViolet]

Went to vote this morning and on the form it gives the area the candidates live in, and our Lib Dem candidate lives at an address in Belgium. How can that be?

The Lib Dems are, after all, very pro-EU...

Read my post back and it sounds arsy, Im not trying to be, just asking?

But how can they have a candidate that doesnt even live in the country?

Is he currently an MEP looking to become an MP?

Who is your candidate?

Hilariously, there is a UKIP candidate who has undertaken his campaign from France. LOL.

He is an MEP I suspect running for the UK parliament, or he works here; one of the joys of the EU for you. Like us, he may rent in Belgium and have a property in the UK.

We live in Belgium as dh is an Officer in the RN and posted here, but still pay full UK tax and NI.

The serious answer (I guess) is that all EU citizens have to be treated on a par with British citizens.

I guess that means someone who isn't even British can technically become Prime Minister

No idea, but if he lives abroad for more than 15 years, he cannot vote.

Hope folk don't vote for him, he should at least live in UK.

Can eu non british citizens vote if living in the uk?

I dont think she is an MEP, and she has a C/O address in our area, but she doesnt live there.

No, you have to be a British citizen.

actually you don't have to be a British citizen

look

You can register to vote if you are:

16 years old or over and
a British citizen
or an Irish, qualifying Commonwealth or European Union citizen who is resident in the UK

but not in general elections toccata - my DP is from an EU country but although on the eletoral register, he cannot vote in this election - only in local ones.

also, my local MP is the shadow minister for Cornwall, lives in Cornwall, but wants to be MP for Hertford - wtf is that about?! there's not even a minister for cornwall for him to shadow!!!

Shadesofviolket. Obviously he does notn like Britain/England enough to live in it! perhaps he thought like the 475.000 who emigrated last year that he's had enough! He then thought hmm... "must ensure the Libdems are represented in Parliament", even if I'm
not resident in the country, then thinks... "but unfortunatley I won't in the country to represent my constituents myself!" Then he thinks " I'm glad I'm not there, I've heard the locals just come into surgeries and moan about their boilers having broken down, council won't fix them! (couldn't make it up!).

^

yes they can if they have leave to remain here and are from one of the qualifying Commonwealth countries.

exH has been registered to vote in GE elections (and has done) since 2001 (when he got his leave to remain)

" If you are a citizen of one of these countries, and resident in the UK, you are eligible to register to vote in UK elections. To qualify, Commonwealth citizens must be resident in the UK and either have leave to remain in the UK or not require such leave. The definition of a 'Commonwealth citizen' includes citizens of British Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.

Citizens of the European Union who are not Commonwealth citizens can vote in European and local elections in the UK, but are not able to vote in UK Parliamentary general elections."

So EU citizens who aren't part of the Commonwealth can't vote in the GE - but those from the commonwealth (with the leave to remain) can

Only local elections, Toccata.

Also, Our BNP candidate had 'Address Unknown' below his name.

sorry - I did see that, but as the commonwealth bit didn't seem to apply here, chose to ignore it many apologies!!

Commonwealth Citizens with leave to remain CAN vote in the GE.

look

it's ok

Yes commonwealth citizens with leave to remain can vote in the GE.

Maybe he is so thick he doesnt actually know?

Think it means that if you hold a non uk eu nationality & a commonwealth nationality you can vote in general elections. If you are non uk eu & don't have a comonwealth duel nationality you can't vote in the general election.