Keir Starmer plotting to ‘rig electorate’ and take Britain back into the European Union, top Tories warn
SIR Keir Starmer aims to “rig the electorate” and take Britain back into the European Union, top Tories warn.
They say he is plotting to give a vote for the first time to EU nationals who have settled here and pay taxes here — plus those with pre-settled status.
He’d let 16 and 17 year-olds vote.
And both moves benefit Labour, say polling experts.
Tory chair Greg Hands blasted last night: “This is an attempt to rig the electorate to re-join the EU.
“No other EU country allows EU citizens who are not their nationals to vote in Parliamentary elections.”
Tory vice-chair Lee Anderson called the move a “shameless manipulation of our voting system”, and “desperate stuff from Starmer”.
Currently 3.4m EU nationals have settled status.
A further 2.6m with pre-settled status could also get voting rights.
Adding 1.4m younger teen voters would increase the total vote by 7.4m — the biggest extension of the franchise in nearly 100 years.
And Prof John Curtice said: “The presumption we all have, rightly or wrongly, is that they’re more likely to be opposed to Brexit — and therefore less likely to vote for the Conservative Party.”
Sir Keir previously called for a second EU referendum, saying it was the only way to break the 2019 Brexit deadlock.
Cabinet Minister Grant Shapps said: “What he plans to do is actually reopen the Brexit settlement.
“What else will he reopen?
“The Windsor Framework, the cooperation agreement with Europe?
“This again is Keir Starmer doing whatever he thinks is in his personal advantage.”
Shadow Cabinet Minister Jonathan Reynolds said the voting plans are “something we will look at”.
He added: “I’ve got to stress they’re not the final plans for the Labour manifesto.”