Some Reflections on Leaving Norfolk
2 hours ago
Monday, 14 September 2009
Why Irish?
Just filling in my Register of Electors 2010 form and my (and Mrs NotaSheep's) "Nationality" is shown as "British/Commonwealth/Irish". That's odd, Irish? So I looked at the rear and find that British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens are entitled to vote in "all elections". I understand British citizens being able to vote in UK elections, I vaguely understand why a citizen of the British Commonwealth might be able to vote in a UK election (although I doubt that it is a 100% great idea) but why should citizens of a foreign country with no formal/legal links to the UK be able to vote in UK elections? Indeed why should citizens of a country many of whose citizens have designs upon part of the UK have a say in the government of the UK?
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3 comments:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Ireland
the section headed "legacy" explains the what, but not the why.
So it's Irish citizens living in the UK, and the arrangement is reciprocal.
I did in fact know the historical reason but felt the piece read better as if I didn't!. My problem is with the practice here; why should Irish living in the UK have a vote in UK elections? Also what are the numbers involved?
completely agree, no good reason that I can see. But we're all EU now.....
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