Thread by @SimonFRCox

UK Minister Karen Bradley was asked "for what reason do the reciprocal voting rights of Irish citizens not cover referendums". The correct answer was "Irish citizens resident in UK DO have voting rights in referendums in UK?

Why did Bradley not say so?

ht @EmmandJDeSouza 1/6

Bradley gave her answer on 47th anniversary of 1972 Northern Ireland referendum*. Irish citizens resident in Northern Ireland had right to vote - and in every UK referendum since.

*NI (Border Poll) Order 1973 had same franchise as Parliamtry elections legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1973/97/p… 2/

UK Gov published position 👇 is that Irish citz have voting rights in referendums in UK gov.uk/elections-in-t…

Representation of People Act 1983, s1 👇means Irish cits can vote in Parliamentary elections

Referendums have always had same franchise. legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/36/… 3/ Each referendum has different rules on who can vote in it.
To vote in a referendum you must:
be registered to vote
be 18 or over on the day of the referendum (‘polling day’)
be a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen
be resident at an address in the UK or Gibraltar(or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)" src="/images/1px.png" data-src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3Z6A_zWAAIl953.png"> (a)is registered in the register of parliamentary electors for that constituency;
(b)is not subject to any legal incapacity to vote (age apart);
(c)is either a Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland;"" src="/images/1px.png" data-src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3Z6EHhW4AE8zxP.png">

British cits resident in Ireland have right to vote for Dail (Parliament) but not in referendums to *change the constitution* of Ireland: under Article 46 of Irish Constitution, since 1937. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitut… 4/

Ireland's constitutional limit to citizens wasn't a reason to deny Irish citizen residents in UK their usual right to vote in the 1973 Border Poll. Or the 1976 EEC Referendum. Or the 2016 EU Referendum 5/

Has UK Gov changed its 45 year policy on referendums and plans to ask Parliament to exclude Irish citizens in the future?
If Gov policy hasn't changed, what is Bradley doing: flying a DUP kite, trolling against peace - or just tragically incompetent? 6/6

Correction: this PQ was *asked* on 8 March (anniversary of 1973 poll)

PS: some UK laws giving special treatment to Irish citizens are based on *reciprocity* eg social security. But voting laws aren’t.

And few are “associated with the Common Travel Area”. They’re based on citizenship, not movement.

UK Gov comms on this is very misleading & lazy.