Ruth Gilfillan was booted down three ranks over Rangers 'banter' claim

[Gonzo79 15,293]

My wife is foreign and can't vote in General Elections but we have a young son, so she is obviously interested in how the country is run. I'm not suggesting it's right or wrong - but you wonder why an Irish bloke who's on a work secondment would get a vote and she doesn't.

 

18 is the correct voting age, as far as I'm concerned.

[JohnMc 2,750]

To make a political point you're deliberately conflating a legal right to vote, in accordance with the laws of this country, with an inferred denial of those voting rights for nefarious reasons. The simple fact is that there are people who are allowed to live in this country but do not legally qualify for voting rights, which is also the case in every other country. But I'll say it again, none of the people you originally mentioned have been denied the right to vote.

 

It would actually be a denial of democracy if people with no legal right to vote were then allowed to vote and influence the governance of the UK, possibly at odds with the broad wishes of its citizens. How about 12 year olds, are they being denied the right to vote? Or members of the police or military, should they be allowed to vote? Or illegal immigrants, or convicted terrorists, or the certified insane?

 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news Bill but police-officers and serving soldiers already can vote. Why would you want to deny them a vote?

 

Illegal immigrants? The certified insane? Really, could you build any more strawmen?

 

It used to be the law that woman couldn't vote, were they not being disenfranchised Bill? Or was that a denial of democracy too? Those pesky suffragettes wanting a say in the country they live in.

 

If you want to make the argument that Gonzo's wife shouldn't be allowed a say in who governs the country then go right ahead. But don't fall back on semantics to cover whatever political or social views you hold.

[Gonzo79 15,293]

I wouldn't give her the vote. She watches Great British Bake Off and Judge Judy when unsupervised and also told our son it's okay if he supports Celtc. That's three strikes!

 

But who does and doesn't get the vote is an interesting subject nonetheless.

[calscot 0]

I'm not sure what the argument is here, but it seems logical for only citizens of a country to be able vote in general elections as they have shown a full vested interest and declared loyalty to the nation. If you want to vote in a country you just have to become a citizen.

 

Even when you think about it, what would stop say Russia, sending a load of people to a constituency and electing a candidate sympathetic to their cause?

 

Local elections are not so sensitive or powerful, and more about what's going on where you live, and so people should be able to vote for them even if they are not citizens as long as they have been resident long enough.

 

Of course, if you are an EU citizen, you should be able to vote for that parliament no matter where you are in the union.