EU citizens not eligible for referendum vote, says No 10

[Chippiewill]

Citizens from most EU countries living in the UK will not get a vote in the referendum on Europe, No 10 has said.

The franchise will be broadly the same as for a general election, rather than local or European elections.

Irish citizens in the UK are eligible. Residents from two other EU nations, Malta and Cyprus, also qualify, along with others from the Commonwealth.

David Cameron is to hold talks with the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at Chequers later.

Legislation for the voting eligibility of the referendum - which the Conservatives have promised to hold before the end of 2017 - will be introduced to Parliament via the EU Referendum Bill on Thursday.

The Bill will make clear that the franchise will follow broadly the same rules as the general election:

• British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens over 18 who are resident in the UK will be eligible to vote.
• So too will UK nationals who have lived overseas for less than 15 years.
• The franchise will not include 16 and 17-year-olds, unlike the Scottish independence referendum.
• Members of the House of Lords and Commonwealth citizens in Gibraltar will also be allowed to vote, although they cannot participate in general elections.

In total, around 45.3 million people will be able to take part.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32872211

I'm still trying to work out how David Cameron hasn't ****** this up yet. We might actually get a proper referendum.

[GommeInc]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32872211

I'm still trying to work out how David Cameron hasn't ****** this up yet. We might actually get a proper referendum.

Seems reasonable and fair. Although technically Brits are EU Citizens so what he should say are "EU Citizens who are not citizens of the host nation should not be entitled to vote", but that's just nitpicking to try and find a flaw in what seems like a reasonably sorted referendum.

[-:Undertaker:-]

So far, so good. Maybe the Tory backbenchers aren't entirely useless after all.

It all really depends on how well Cameron sells his failed renegotiation to the public. If I were organising the Independence campaign, then I would have someone like Lord Digby Jones (businessman) heading the Economics front with a revived Business for Sterling organisation, Farage/Ukip heading the immigration front and someone from the left like Frank Field MP or Kate Hoey MP as the face of the entire campaign. I suspect this will be the setup if they have any sense.

That way, you'd allow each faction to play to its strength on the issue -

Political arguments for British independence and overall campaign: headed by a left winger.

Economic arguments for British independence: headed by a businessman.

Border control arguments for British independence: headed by a right-wing party that is most trusted on immigration.

[FlyingJesus]

Aren't we all EU citizens