Farage pledges postal votes ban and finish to Commonwealth voting rights | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Postal voting can be banned in lots of circumstances and solely “naturalised British citizens” will be capable to participate in parliamentary elections below a Reform UK Government, Nigel Farage has pledged. Reform claims present guidelines which permit resident Commonwealth residents to vote in the event that they meet sure situations has led to UK elections being fought on “international issues”.

Postal voting would solely be allowed below “tightly defined exemptions” for “the elderly, the disabled, serving armed forces personnel, and those working overseas during an election”.

Mr Farage stated: “For too long, postal voting has allowed our elections to be turned into a laughing stock, riddled with fraud, intimidation and outright cheating. It’s been allowed to go on for years and has poisoned trust in our democracy. Meanwhile, allowing non-Brits – people with zero connection to this country – vote on our future is absurd. It is right that only British citizens should be able to vote in British parliamentary elections. That’s why a Reform government will immediately ban wholesale postal voting and ensure only British citizens can vote in elections in order to bring back trust to British democracy.”

According to the Electoral Commission, a Commonwealth citizen can register to vote if she or he has go away to enter or stay within the UK, or doesn’t require that go away.

Citizens of Fiji and Zimbabwe retain their voting rights although the nations have been suspended from the Commonwealth.

The Electoral Commission stories there’s “no evidence of large-scale electoral fraud”. It states on its web site: “Of the 1,318 cases of alleged electoral fraud reported to police between 2020 and 2024, eight led to convictions and the police issued three cautions.”

Reform has gone to the police after election observer group Democracy Volunteers warned there have been “concerningly high levels” of “family voting” throughout the Gorton and Denton by-election. This is an unlawful observe the place two voters use one polling sales space and will direct one another tips on how to vote.

Shadow Local Government Secretary Sir James Cleverly has additionally requested the Electoral Commission stage an inquiry.

Democracy Volunteers reported its observers witnessed household voting in 15 of twenty-two polling stations noticed. Reform completed second within the by-election, with the Greens taking the seat from Labour.

Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake expressed alarm on the Reform proposals, saying: ““We must safeguard our elections with proportionate, evidence-based reforms, not headline grabbing measures that could lock law-abiding voters out of our democratic process.”