Forum Topic

Any referendum should give working class people half a vote and us posh lefties 2 votes

No wonder we had a march for a people’s vote ! I even heard in the original referendum a dustman had voted ugh ! Us posh lefties are far superior !

Dennis Brogan ● 2885d25 Comments

That's what happened in the Roman Republic. Three votes for Senatorial class, two for middle class and one for the plebs.

Susan Kelly ● 2885d

I am guessing here, but presumably none at all for women?

Philip Coe ● 2885d

A lot of  British people were not allowed a vote purely because  they had been out of the UK for over fifteen years. Very democratic!

Nicholas Beard ● 2885d

If they were resident overseas why would they expect a vote? I never was able to vote when resident overseas 1970-82.

Graham Weeks ● 2885d

And God help you if you try and correct your details via the Ealing Council Electoral Registration system you will be pestered to death with illegal requests for unnecesary deed poll name change documents

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2884d

The exclusion of British citizens overseas from the vote was an odd one particularly for those resident in the EU as they were so directly affected. David Cameron presumably was so complacent about the result he wasn't particularly bothered about their disenfranchisement.It was doubly strange because Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK were allowed to vote so you had a situation in which for example an Australian citizen working for an Australian bank in the City of London got to have a say but a Brit based in Paris working for a British bank there had no vote.

Gordon Southwell ● 2884d

Not as mad/bad as foreign EU citizens in Scotland being able to vote in the Indy referendum - along with the 16 and 17 year olds.

Graham Weeks ● 2884d

Graham,WOW! "Not as mad/bad as foreign EU citizens in Scotland being able to vote in the Indy referendum - along with the 16 and 17 year olds." I missed THAT one

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2884d

Which is the bad bit — the 16-17 year olds being able to vote or the EU nationals? For the former it makes sense to allow younger people a say in a decision that will mainly impact on them. We should have allowed them to vote in the EU Referendum but that error could be rectified with a second vote as anyone who was 16-17 at the time of the first vote is now enfranchised. If it is EU nationals voting I agree it is questionable but wouldn't go as far as it being outright 'bad' and as it was a decision of the Scottish parliament it isn't really up to us anyway. Most EU nationals in Scotland are probably from Ireland and they would have had the right to vote anyway. The remainder are likely have voted no to independence as it would have raised a question mark over their status. If there was another referendum they would probably now be overwhelmingly for independence but thankfully for the Unionists leaving the EU will deprive them of any voting rights.

Dennis O'Shea ● 2882d

Whats wrong with that?People that have made Scotland their home being allowed to vote?I think EU nationals in the UK should've been able to vote in the Brexit ref, many here for years, paying taxes, owning homes etc..

Paul James ● 2882d

If the SNP had wanted the referendum to go their way they should have enfranchised the English who would have voted to be rid of the liability that is Scotland.

Graham Weeks ● 2882d

How about all British people being allowed to vote?

Nicholas Beard ● 2881d

How about "One Person, One Vote" and we have already had that.A second on the same subject in our parliamentary democracy would surely be against the law?

Leslie Bailey ● 2881d

1. Quite a lot of EU citizens that have been here for years and call the UK their home were denied a vote2. It wouldn't be the same subject.3. referendums in parliamentary democracy should be against the law really if you think about...4. It would be a third. 1975 remain, 2016 leave, 2019 Accept no deal, do "chequers" or remain?

Paul James ● 2880d

Over 20 years ago I asked the then chief executive in a council meeting concerning the policing of the electoral register. This was in the wake of the desire to have everyone on the register for collecting the then community charge. I was informed that there was no check made as to the legality of claims for inclusion on the electoral role. So AFAIK an EU citizen could register and get away with a vote.

Graham Weeks ● 2879d

It's still illegal to vote if you're not allowed to, whether you snuck onto the register or not.

Paul James ● 2879d

But can you cite any instances of this law enforced?

Graham Weeks ● 2879d

Sir Eric Pickles did a report into electoral fraud in the wake of the Tower Hamlets enquiry. In that report 21 cases were prosecuted between 2005 and 2015. The report doesn't give many numbers about the level of illicit registration but I can see it being very high as the risk is asymmetric. A single vote isn't likely to have much impact but an individual will get a criminal record if caught therefore very few people will do it.

Andy Jones ● 2879d

As well...

Paul James ● 2878d

Scotland allowed any resident who was on the electoral register, regardless of nationality, to vote in the independence referendum. That’s right and fair. As for Scotland being a liability to England, that’s utterly untrue. A significant proportion of English residents in Scotland voted for independence and many more will do so next time. Why do you think so many English people are heading north of the border?

Judith Jaafar ● 2876d

I need to correct my own post from earlier. I said I 'can' see the amount of illicit registration being high. I meant 'can't'

Dennis O'Shea ● 2876d

Can't anyone not see this is a transparent wind-up ?! And from an uneducated and ignorant individual.  Aka a "Brexiteer.Brings to mind a quote attributed to Winston Churchill, roughly ..."The strongest argument against democracy is to spend five minutes in conversation with the average voter."

Roger Vipond ● 2876d

im a brexiteer & proud.All those crying about a loss from a democratic vote, tough.Like anyone I have had to endure years of vote results I loathed without any shouting about a revote.I voted out for one main reaon, as indeed millions of others did & which if talked about will result in slating & endless abuse.Can have a view one way but not another.

Peter Yale ● 2875d

Okay Peter.  I am glad you are "proud".  But of what exactly? And of course you are entitled to hold an opinion. But if that opinion is based on emotion rather than facts, and if you care about the well-being of this wonderful country of ours, and the future of our children and grandchildren, you should be willing to make your case ...

Roger Vipond ● 2875d

My decisions are based on what I see in life & experience.What I hear & read in news.Im tired of being dictated to by the EU.All the scaremongering, blackmailing & bullying is non proven scaremongering about the so called end of everything.Yes you can say emotion, coupled with life experience

Peter Yale ● 2875d