Photo by Noah Peterson on Unsplash
According to an article published in the UK Daily Telegraph, Sir Keir Starmer the leader of the UK Labour Party will extend the vote in the UK to millions of EU citizens if Labour wins the next general election.
Under manifesto plans for the biggest expansion of the franchise in almost a century, Sir Keir will launch a “package of proposals” including votes for settled migrants and 16 and 17-year-olds.
The move could force the Conservatives out of London altogether and unseat Boris Johnson if he stands again for Parliament in 2029.
However, the Labour leader faces accusations of trying to “rig the outcome” of a future election and “laying the groundwork for a referendum to rejoin the EU”.
Under the proposals, migrants who live permanently in the UK and pay tax will be able to vote in general elections for the first time.
It is expected to affect around 3.4 million EU nationals in Britain, who have already fulfilled those requirements to achieve “settled status”. A further 2.6 million have already been granted “pre-settled” status and could be given voting rights in the future.
The news story published by the pro-Conservative Daily Telegraph is an attempt at pre-election scare mongering to shore up the Conservative Party’s flagging support.
