Residence Based Voting Rights

Sem Moema AM proposed, and Dr Onkar Sahota AM seconded, the following motion: 

“The Assembly notes the Elections Bill is currently being debated in Westminster. The Bill will introduce a number of measures including mandatory photographic voter ID, overseas voting, and voting and candidacy rights of EU citizens.

37% of Londoners were born abroad and 12% are from the European Union (EU). They live, work, study, make use of public services, and call London their home. Many of our foreign-born residents from EU and Commonwealth countries can vote in our local elections. However, the approximate 377,000 residents born in non-EU and non-Commonwealth countries cannot.

The Assembly welcomes that the voting and candidacy rights of EU citizens with pre-settled and settled status who entered the UK before 2021 will be maintained. We further welcome the Mayor’s actions to support EU Londoners with 1.4 million people accessing the European Londoners Hub.

The Assembly expresses concern that EU citizens who enter the UK from 2021 and are not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, or by bilateral treaties covering voting rights, will not have voting and candidacy rights in local elections from 2022. This will create an unequal situation where some EU citizens will have the right to vote while others will not. We also fear this complexity in voting eligibility may cause confusion and reduce voter turnout.

The Assembly calls on the Mayor of London and the Chair of the London Assembly to separately write to the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, requesting that the Elections Bill be amended to extend local election voting rights in England and Northern Ireland to all qualifying foreign nationals in line with voting rights in Scotland and Wales.”

Following debate and upon being put to the vote, the motion was agreed, with 14 votes being cast in favour and 6 votes being cast against.