Nigel Farage has announced Reform would introduce new rules restricting who can vote in UK elections, in the wake of the party’s by-election defeat.
In a press conference on Monday, Farage unveiled his party’s plans for electoral reform, which include only allowing naturalised British citizens to vote in Parliamentary elections and restricting postal voting.
Under Reform’s plans, residents from Commonwealth countries would lose their right to vote whilst only elderly and disabled people, serving armed forces personnel, and those working overseas during an election would be able to use postal voting.
The Clacton MP claimed postal voting has turned the UK’s elections into a ‘laughing stock’, and that allowing non-British citizens to vote is ‘absurd’.
The electoral reform announcement comes in the wake of Reform’s by-election defeat in Gorton and Denton, which was one by the Greens’ Hannah Spencer.
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But following the vote, there have been claims from Reform of ‘sectarian voting’ from the Muslim community, with Farage calling for an investigation.
Following reports of ‘family voting’ at some polling stations, Farage said this amounted to ‘cheating’, whilst the defeated Matt Goodwin blamed “Muslim sectarianism” for his loss.
The timing of Farage’s announcement on electoral reform has prompted accusations from Trades Union Congress chief Paul Nowak that the Reform leader is “trying to rig the rules” on elections.
He told the Mirror: “Nigel Farage is a sore loser. His baseless conspiracy theories make him sound more like Donald Trump every day. Instead of trying to rig the rules – restricting who can vote or banning postal ballots – he should look closer to home.”
“People in Gorton and Denton turned out to reject Reform’s nasty and divisive agenda. An agenda that would scrap employment protections, legalise discrimination and axe renters’ rights – handing more power to bad bosses and rogue landlords.”
Unison’s assistant general secretary, Jon Richards, said: “If Nigel Farage was such a fan of democracy, he’d have insisted on a by-election every time another chancer Tory MP defected to Reform. It’s funny how he has far less interest in overseas influence when it comes to the funding of his party.”