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Remainer plot to let teens and EU citizens have the vote could derail Boris' Christmas election plan
A REMAINER plot to let teens and EU citizens have the vote would cause “chaos” for Boris Johnson’s Christmas election plan.
Labour, Lib Dems and SNP all want the voting age lowered to 16 years old but No10 has dismissed the idea claiming it would result in a “logistical burden”.
TEENAGE SCREAMS
The anti-Brexit group see their tactic as a way of blocking Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal – with a Remain position generally stronger in the country’s students and teens.
Lib Dem boss Jo Swinson wants younger voters to have a say in “all different elections”.
She said: “It works well, the sky has not fallen in, and I think that those should be introduced for elections across the House and across all different elections."
While the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: "It is the priority to make sure that we legislate that in future our young people and our EU nationals are given due respect.
It is the priority to make sure that we legislate that in future our young people and our EU nationals are given due respect.
“But the priority we face in the short term is to make sure that we come together to stop this damaging Brexit that the Prime Minister wants to put through.”
Voters are now set to go to the polls in the second week of December, but MPs are still wrangling over the exact date ahead of a crunch vote in the Commons tonight.
No10 have confirmed it is not feasible to lower the voting age in time – with millions needed to be added to the electoral role in a matter of weeks.
CAUSING CHAOS
A spokesman said: "Changing the election franchise days before an election could cause administrative chaos.
"There would be between 2.4 million to three million people added to the electoral roll at the last minute with no idea on the cost or logistical burden this could cause.
"This may in turn lead to delays with polling cards, postal votes and at polling stations that could undermine everyone's ability to vote in the election.
Changing the election franchise days before an election could cause administrative chaos.
"It would also mean EU nationals in the UK enjoying wider voting rights than UK nationals in any other country other than Ireland.
"Citizenship requirements are the norm in national elections in democracies including the United Kingdom."
The warning comes as Jeremy Corbyn performed a U-turn to back an early December election – despite dodging a Commons vote on it three times.
The Labour boss made the U-turn after getting assurances from the EU that a no deal Brexit was “off the table”.
Mr Corbyn said today that he “can’t wait” to take on the Tories at the ballot boxes.
He told the BBC: “We are going out there to fight an election campaign and I can’t wait to get out there on the streets in every town and village in this country – Labour will be there giving a message of real hope where this government offers nothing.”
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