Starmer backs down on voting rights of EU citizens in yet another flip-flop
Starmer defends proposals to give EU citizens vote
Sir Keir Starmer has performed yet another U-turn, this time on whether EU citizens will get the right to vote under a Labour Government.
On Sunday, it was revealed Labour were planning on giving millions more the right to vote, both by extending the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds, and allowing EU workers without UK citizenship access to Britain’s democracy.
Asked about the plans on Monday, Sir Keir said it “feels wrong” that EU citizens don’t have the vote.
Just a day later, however, he appears to have U-turned on the pledge.
In an interview with The Times, Sir Keir now says “This isn’t policy,” pointing out that none of his five ‘missions’ include electoral change.
Speaking to LBC at the start of the week he defended the reports of his planned expansion of voting rights: “The thinking behind it is if someone’s been here say 10, 20, 30 years, contributing to this economy, contributing to the community, they ought to be able to vote.
“Let me bring it alive – I’ve knocked on a lot of doors in the last few years, and you go to doors sometimes in a general election and you’re met with someone who says ‘look, I’m an EU citizen, I’ve been living here for 30 years, I’m married to a Brit.
“‘My kids were raised and brought up here, they’re now working in the UK, we’re all working in lots of community projects but I can’t vote.’
“That feels wrong, and something ought to be done about it.”
The apparent u-turn followed Michael Gove writing to the Labour Leader, accusing him of trying to “rig” elections.
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Mr Gove asked: “Why do you think it’s right to downgrade the ultimate privilege of British citizenship — the right to vote in a general election?”
“What do you say to those who say that your approach is designed to undermine Brexit — and ‘rig’ the voting system for national elections and referendums?”
In response, Sir Keir accused the Levelling Up Secretary of being “hysterical”.
However he confessed policies like giving EU citizens the votes won’t be his focus, in an apparent climb down from Monday.
“We will debate a number of things. But . . . I know that because of the damaged country we’ll inherit I have to be laser-focused in government on the missions I’ve said we will deliver.
“We’ve got five missions. None of them involve electoral change.”
Mr Gove asked: “Why do you think it’s right to downgrade the ultimate privilege of British citizenship — the right to vote in a general election?”
“What do you say to those who say that your approach is designed to undermine Brexit — and ‘rig’ the voting system for national elections and referendums?”
In response, Sir Keir accused the Levelling Up Secretary of being “hysterical”.
However he confessed policies like giving EU citizens the votes won’t be his focus, in an apparent climb down from Monday.
“We will debate a number of things. But . . . I know that because of the damaged country we’ll inherit I have to be laser-focused in government on the missions I’ve said we will deliver.
“We’ve got five missions. None of them involve electoral change.”
Tory sources told the Express there had been no-such climbdown from Sir Keir, instead he was merely dodging the question after it proved so unpopular at the start of the week.
One pointed out that Labour seemingly backed an amendment to the Voting Bill last year, which called for “enfranchisement of certain foreign nationals at parliamentary elections”.
Labour’s amendment listed “a foreign national who has settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme” among those Labour wanted to be given voting rights.
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