Nigel Farage says he would only allow British citizens to vote in UK elections
Nigel Farage says he would only allow British citizens to vote in UK elections
Reform UK has introduced new proposals for electoral reform, including a plan to drastically cut postal voting and strip Commonwealth citizens of their voting rights in UK elections.
“Postal voting has turned our elections into a laughing stock,” Nigel Farage stated, calling the practice “absurd” when it allows non-British citizens to influence outcomes.
Under the proposed changes, postal ballots would be restricted to specific groups: the elderly, disabled individuals, serving military personnel, and those working overseas during elections. Commonwealth nationals, who currently qualify to vote in UK elections if they are residents, would no longer be eligible to cast their ballots.
A Reform UK spokesperson clarified that the policy would not impact Irish citizens, who retain the right to participate in parliamentary elections. The shift reflects Farage’s belief that Commonwealth voting undermines national sovereignty, shifting focus from domestic concerns to international issues.
Farage emphasized that postal voting has been exploited for years, leading to fraud, intimidation, and cheating. He argued that only British citizens should have the authority to decide the country’s future, stating: “It is right that only British citizens should be able to vote in British parliamentary elections.”
Allegations of electoral fraud spark reform push
The move follows Reform UK’s call for police to probe claims of election fraud in the recent Gorton and Denton by-election. Democracy Volunteers, an election observer group, reported “concerningly high levels” of “family voting,” where two voters use a single booth to coordinate their choices illegally.
Farage vowed to take decisive action after the next general election if the issue remains unaddressed, warning: “If this is happening at polling stations, imagine the potential for coercion with postal votes.”
Tory response questions the urgency of reforms
Kevin Hollinrake, Tory party chairman, labeled the proposals as “headline-grabbing” and criticized the rush to ban postal voting, suggesting it risks disenfranchising vulnerable groups like pensioners and overseas voters. He urged a balanced approach, stating: “We must safeguard elections with proportionate, evidence-based reforms, not measures that could exclude law-abiding voters.”
Farage’s parties have previously faced setbacks in by-elections, such as the 2015 Oldham West and Royton contest and the 2019 Peterborough race. In both cases, he accused postal voting of being manipulated, questioning the integrity of elections in diverse communities.
His Brexit Party candidate contested the 2019 Peterborough result in court but later withdrew the challenge, ultimately paying the Labour candidate’s legal costs.
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