Closed petition Allow immigrants to vote in UK national elections and referendums.

Closed on 5 January 2017

The scapegoating of immigrants during political campaigns narrows the debate, hides the true reasons for economic problems, and distorts the result. If immigrants were granted the vote, as they are in local elections, they would not be targeted in this way.

During the 18 September 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, all EU and Commonwealth citizens resident in Scotland aged 16 or over could vote. During the 23rd June 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, immigrants from the EU were not allowed to vote, though commonwealth citizens were. The campaign focussed unduly on the issue of immigration to the detriment of other important issues.