Labour to let EU citizens to vote in UK

Labour are considering plans to allow migrants living in the UK to vote in UK elections.

Labour shadow business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds has revealed Labour are considering plans to allow EU -emigrants who live in the UK permanently and 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in UK elections for the first time.

Reynolds said Labour were: “always looking at ways to strengthen our democracy, to involve as many people [as] possible in that, and there’ll be an element of that, reform of how this country operates, how power is shared, in the Labour manifesto, that’s for sure”.

If the plans became policy it would affect about 3.4 million EU nationals who have settled in the UK.

Quizzed on the plans on Sky News the shadow business secretary said: “I think there are arguments for expanding the franchise. It’s not an area I directly deal with in the shadow cabinet. I’m not going to give a definitive answer on that, but I think we should always be seeking to involve as many people as possible in our democracy.

“It’s something we will look at, but some of the reports, I’ve got to stress they’re not the final plans for the Labour manifesto.

“I don’t think any changes to how the British state works, how democracy works, should ever be considered through any kind of party political lens.”