I'm not British but I live here and pay my taxes. Shouldn't I have a vote in the EU referendum?

An Italian asks why long-term British residents like her should be denied a vote on Britain's place in the European Union:

Irn Bru wrote:

Tommy Monk wrote:Labour and lib dems opposed any moves to reduce numbers.


And both opposed a referendum on the EU which could have delivered us the necessary means to end EU free movement and therefore reduce numbers.


Labour opened the taps on immigration soon as they got into govt, then they signed us into free movement to half a billion poor former communist eastern countries.


Are you in favour of continued mass immigration or against it!?

Are you in favour of continued open door to half a billion or against it!?

No Tommy, It was the Tories who signed us up to free movement within the EU. Look up the Maastricht Treaty. It's in there.

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:


Disloyal?
Maybe we should vote on removing the derisive people of this country that do not integrate, if anything they are the ones that clearly do not fit in within this society. Luckily us Liberals are not intolerant low life's, and would never vote on such a matter.The only thing you are loyal to is yourself

I presume you mean divisive? If so then most of the labour party should be excluded because they have done more to divide the country than any other section of society

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:

The Devil, You Know wrote:
they are not directly involved, they are visitors to the country who's allegiance is to another country. If they want to vote then they need to apply for british citizenship.

Utter babble.
They are residents working and paying into the system, where some even have had children born here and the outcome could very well effect their rights to being a resident in this country. There is no law stating they have to aplly, that is complete bollocks.

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:

The Devil, You Know wrote:
they are not directly involved, they are visitors to the country who's allegiance is to another country. If they want to vote then they need to apply for british citizenship.

Utter babble.
They are residents working and paying into the system, where some even have had children born here and the outcome could very well effect their rights to being a resident in this country. There is no law stating they have to aplly, that is complete bollocks.

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:

Utter babble.
They are residents working and paying into the system, where some even have had children born here and the outcome could very well effect their rights to being a resident in this country. There is no law stating they have to aplly, that is complete bollocks.

if your argument had any legs why cant they vote in the general election?

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:

The Devil, You Know wrote:
I presume you mean divisive? If so then most of the labour party should be excluded because they have done more to divide the country than any other section of society

OMG never heard anything so absurd.
I think the left could easily argue the same on views of the right, hence why it is people like yourself that fuel a divide between people

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:

Utter babble.
They are residents working and paying into the system, where some even have had children born here and the outcome could very well effect their rights to being a resident in this country. There is no law stating they have to aplly, that is complete bollocks.

they are not citizens of the country. That is the fundamental point. Only citizens can vote on this issue and other choice would be political suicide.

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:

Tommy Monk wrote:Labour and lib dems opposed any moves to reduce numbers.


And both opposed a referendum on the EU which could have delivered us the necessary means to end EU free movement and therefore reduce numbers.


Labour opened the taps on immigration soon as they got into govt, then they signed us into free movement to half a billion poor former communist eastern countries.


Are you in favour of continued mass immigration or against it!?

Are you in favour of continued open door to half a billion or against it!?

No Tommy, It was the Tories who signed us up to free movement within the EU. Look up the Maastricht Treaty. It's in there.

yes the tories were wrong but that was 25 years ago, this is here and now. the tories did not sign up, as far as I am aware, to allow foreign nationals to vote on british constitutional matters.
this affects britain and only british citizens should be allowed to vote.

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:

The Devil, You Know wrote:
if your argument had any legs why cant they vote in the general election?

They can vote on EU elections though can they not?
This is an EU matter which effects EU citizens here and British citizens residing in the EU.
Why were they allowed to vote in the Scottish Refernedum?
Again because it could have effected them.
There is no law on this, so using the general election as your arguing point shows up your failing, as it is a referendum not a general election. There is no law set in stone to say who gets to vote.

Irn Bru wrote:

The Devil, You Know wrote:
yes the tories were wrong but that was 25 years ago, this is here and now. the tories did not sign up, as far as I am aware, to allow foreign nationals to vote on british constitutional matters.
this affects britain and only british citizens should be allowed to vote.

Of course they were wrong and it needed to be pointed out to someone who thought it was Labour.

British citizens should be the only one's who vote on the referendum?  What
about someone who married a British citizen and has settled and lived here for many many years? Nick Cleggs wife springs to mind. Just an example and not sure if she is a British citizen, maybe she is.

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:

OMG never heard anything so absurd.
I think the left could easily argue the same on views of the right, hence why it is people like yourself that fuel a divide between people

labour have intentionally tried to divide this country for years. their whole immigration policiy was intended to divide the country and stick 2 fingers up to the right. the whole devolution issue was intended to divide the country and only an absolute fool would think that it would nto ultimately lead to a break up of the UK. If that is not DIVISIVE then I do not know what it.

Now you just saying absurd is not a rebuttal, it is just your opinion, which seems to shift like the sands depending on which way the wind is blowing.
you are the one that said DIVISIVE people should be excluded. I just pointed out who the most DIVISIVE people were.

Oh and I did it without a huge amount of other peoples cut and paste

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:

They can vote on EU elections though can they not?
This is an EU matter which effects EU citizens here and British citizens residing in the EU.
Why were they allowed to vote in the Scottish Refernedum?
Again because it could have effected them.
There is no law on this, so using the general election as your arguing point shows up your failing, as it is a referendum not a general election. There is no law set in stone to say who gets to vote.

they cant vote in uk elections. this a UK referendum.

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:

OMG never heard anything so absurd.
I think the left could easily argue the same on views of the right, hence why it is people like yourself that fuel a divide between people

labour have intentionally tried to divide this country for years. their whole immigration policiy was intended to divide the country and stick 2 fingers up to the right. the whole devolution issue was intended to divide the country and only an absolute fool would think that it would nto ultimately lead to a break up of the UK. If that is not DIVISIVE then I do not know what it.

Now you just saying absurd is not a rebuttal, it is just your opinion, which seems to shift like the sands depending on which way the wind is blowing.
you are the one that said DIVISIVE people should be excluded. I just pointed out who the most DIVISIVE people were.

Oh and I did it without a huge amount of other peoples cut and paste

No the left and right have been very fundemental in dividin this country, based on their continual inability to work together on the needs of placing the public first.
It is the British people who are at fault for immigration, which shows how short sighted your views are. The fact is this country has an ethos of some Brotish people who deem some work beneath them or a belief to not work and live on benefits. Back in the early 2000's employers were screaming out for people to fill jobs. If the jobs were not avilable then immigrants would have no work to enable them to stay. The fact is that there was plenty of jobs because many Brits would not take up certain work and those wishing to sit on their arses on benefits. Thus the whole mass immigration was brought around by British people themselves. They provided the ability for people to come and obtain jobs, ones they would not do themselves. These same people are ironically the most vocal moaning about immigration.

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:




Who gets to vote?

The question over who will be able to cast a ballot in the EU referendum is far more complicated than may initially meet the eye.

In last week’s UK parliamentary general elections British citizens, and qualifying Commonwealth citizens and citizens of the Republic of Ireland resident in the UK were, if registered, eligible to vote.

These same criteria were used in the 2011 AV referendum.


However, citizens of EU countries residing in the UK can vote in elections for local government and the European parliament . And, following the precedent set by the Greater London Authority, EU citizens can also vote in elections for the Scottish parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly if they are registered in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland respectively.

And EU nationals were able to cast a ballot in last year’s Scottish independence referendum. This is because the eligibility criteria in that vote was grounded on residency, and not on citizenship alone, which meant that EU nationals living in Scotland could have a say, while Scots not residing in Scotland couldn’t. Also, the minimum age for voting in that referendum was lowered to 16 instead of 18, which is the normal voting arrangement in UK elections.

Although of course not a UK election, Ireland held two referendums to ratify the Treaty of Nice. Unlike in the country’s parliamentary elections, where British citizens residing in the Republic can vote, only Irish citizens could cast ballots those votes and are eligible to vote in constitutional referendums.

Overall there is no “right” eligibility criteria. Without a written constitution, it’s all about which precedent and set of principles – citizenship, nationality or residence – the government will choose to pursue. Arguments in favour, or against, all of these approaches is valid, and equally balanced with pros and cons.