Politics UK

Got a question.
Is it true that anyone can vote in UK's GE? I heard that foreigners are allowed to vote.

No, you have to be a British citizen to vote in a General Election

You can vote in Council elections though, as long as you're registered, I think.

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

only if you're a EU or Commonwealth citizen Tatty

From the Electoral Commission website http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/

To vote in a local government election a person must be registered to vote and also be one of the following:
a British citizen living in the UK
a qualifying Commonwealth citizen living in the UK
a citizen of the Republic of Ireland living in the UK
a European Union citizen living in the UK
someone registered to vote as a Crown Servant
someone registered to vote as a service voter


To vote in a UK general election a person must be registered to vote and also:

be 18 years of age or over on polling day
be a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland
not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote


Additionally, the following cannot vote in a UK general election:

members of the House of Lords (although they can vote at elections to local authorities, devolved legislatures and the European Parliament)
EU citizens resident in the UK (although they can vote at elections to local authorities, devolved legislatures and the European Parliament)
anyone other than British, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens
convicted persons detained in pursuance of their sentences (though remand prisoners, unconvicted prisoners and civil prisoners can vote if they are on the electoral register)
anyone found guilty within the previous five years of corrupt or illegal practices in connection with an election

Yeah, but they're furrenors too!

I bet I'm a foreign as far as UKIP are concerned.

are you even allowed to post in this thread?

Well, this election win for the far left Syriza party in Greece is going to be interesting for the EU ....

Interesting in a bad way you mean?

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Cobpyth's Movie Log ~ 2019

It'll be interesting to see what they actually manage to do. There's a big difference between what you say you're going to do and being able to do it. It'll also be interesting to see how the people and the markets react to it.

BTW, am I the only person who hopes the leaders debate doesn't happen? The 7 way debate (8 if the DUP get in as well) will be a nightmare. I think it'll either be a poorly disciplined free-for-all or so strictly controled that there won't really be a debate. Merely everyone getting to say what they want, but in too short a period of time so that no one point can be expanded on or countered by anyone else.

I wasn't looking forward to it anyway because, as we all saw last time, the debates became the be all and end all of the campaign. I know we're pretty much in Presidential politics anyway, but this isn't helping any.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

Cob - what HK says ^^

I'm interested in whatever confrontation comes about between the Greek government and the EU and how it's all going to play out.

HK - agreed about the leaders debate. I hate all the emphasis placed on the personal attributes of the leaders. I can foresee Nigel Farridge showboating which is going to make me feel sick.

Did I hear correctly? Are they saying in Greece that they want to stay in the Euro? In the EU I can understand and wouldn't expect anything less. But in the Euro? They want to default on their loan, renegotiate the terms of the bailout, but stay in the Euro? I think I can guess how Brussels and Berlin will deal with that.

Everyone (and by that I mean economists/financial/market experts) pretty much all agreed before the first bailout that the best thing for Greece was to devalue, come out of the Euro and go back to the Dracma. That's what I expected to happen now. If that isn't what they said they'd do (and I didn't follow any of the Greek election so I don't know) then I don't understand any of this at all. I'm sure most of the people voting in Greece voted for change rather than the parties in this election (given the effects on their economy it's understandable if undesireable) but I can't see how this is what they voted for.

I've only read that they've been elected on an anti austerity platform so they want to immediately renegotiate the terms of the Bailout but Tsipras has said he's willing to negotiate. I guess he wants to get some or all of the debt written off . It's not surprising the Greek people have voted in a radical party , the unemployment rate is dreadful, it's hard to see how the country can get back on its feet with so many people out of work

I'm with you, but you I can't see how they can stay within the Euro and do it. Portugal, Spain and Italy will all be knocking on the door if they do.

Germany (and all the other members) will never give in to this. It would totally destroy the Eurozone's credibility. The Greeks just voted for a bunch of leftist populists who promised changes they know they will never be able to achieve (unless they're truly that naive). It's understandable, as the Greeks were obviously getting hurt by the economic policy that was imposed, but it seems like they don't understand that they'll get hurt either way (at least in the relatively short term).

To me, this election is a great example of how general ignorance (and using that ignorance via populistic propaganda) can be very dangerous in a democracy. It's very frustrating to behold. People seem to believe what they want to believe.

Always have, probably always will.

Yes. UKIP.

Am I the only person wondering why, for the last day or two, people have been 'surprised' that UK citizens with Swiss bank accounts were avoiding taxes and the banks were helping/instructing them? Unless I've missed something, wasn't that the point of using them? I'm all for closing loopholes and trying to get taxes owed, but let's not pretend we've just discovered it happens or that one of the reasons it happens is because we purposely attract the mega rich to Britain (London) because they know this is what we do.

UKIP sounds like a good party to me

Not sure if troll post or not...

Sorry to necro this but I missed it first time around. I'd love it (said in a Keggy Keegle voice) if the DUP were allowed into a main leaders debate.

Then I'd love it if they immediately get asked if their equal marriage opposing, gay blood banning selves should be seriously considered by one of the English parties as partners in a notional future coalition.

8 Westminster seats or not, they're a bunch of chain-the-swings-up-on-a-Sunday merchants in sharp suits.

Trust us. Under that thin veneer of respectibility lurks a lot of racists who consider themselves too genteel to join the thuggery of the BNP. Don't be fooled.

The whole point I agree. It's just another thing hyped up to make it look like the politicians are up in arms and doing something about tax avoidance, when they clearly haven't been nor are likely to do so as long as members of their parties have family trust funds operated from Switzerland. I mean what would they do for income for gods sake? bring 'em on!