Kezia Dugdale: Give EU nationals vote in Europe referendum

EU nationals who have made the UK their home should be able to vote in the referendum on Europe, according to a Scottish Labour leadership candidate.

Kezia Dugdale addressed the issue during a speech in Glasgow.

She said it would be "unfair" to exclude EU citizens from such a fundamental decision.

Earlier this week, No 10 said citizens from most EU countries living in the UK would not get a vote on whether or not to sever ties with Brussels.

The franchise for the referendum, which is expected by the end of 2017, will be based on that for a general election - meaning Irish, Maltese and Cypriots resident in the UK will get a vote, but other EU citizens will not.

Ms Dugdale claimed that last September's referendum on Scottish independence was enhanced by the participation of around 90,000 EU nationals registered to take part in the ballot.

"Put simply, I believe EU nationals who have chosen to live their life here, and make the UK their home, should have the right to vote in a referendum on the future of the country," she said.

The Lothians MSP - the Scottish party's deputy leader - set out her position in a keynote speech to the Scottish Fabians, in which she also argued that Scottish Labour has to be seen as a party with ideas for the future rather than stuck in the past.

She told the audience she would be campaigning to stay in Europe and keep the "strong ties" with the UK's neighbours.

She said that referendums should be conducted "as inclusively and democratically as possible" and argued that 16 and 17-year-olds should be able to vote in the EU referendum, as they did in the Scottish independence ballot.

She said: "We as a country benefit from the free movement of people across Europe, and we should not continue to enjoy this freedom while restricting political participation.

"Voting rights are a matter of democratic principle, and I strongly feel it is unfair to exclude EU nationals from a fundamental referendum.

"The referendum reinvigorated political participation in Scotland. A referendum on Europe can afford us the same opportunity."

Ms Dugdale is expected to face a challenge from Labour MSP Ken Macintosh in the bid to replace outgoing Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy.

Mr Murphy is to step down from the post next month in the wake of the party's poor general election performance, in which it lost all but one of its MPs north of the border.

Reflecting on the "agonising" defeat, Ms Dugdale warned against a return to "business as usual" for the party.

She said: "Politics in Scotland has now changed quite fundamentally and we have but one chance to get it. And get it we must."

Stephen Gethins MP, the SNP's Europe spokesman at Westminster, said: "It's absolutely vital the referendum on Europe is as inclusive as possible - following the example of Scotland's referendum last year - which is why the SNP has been leading the fight against this Tory Government's attempt to silence the voices of our EU nationals.

"I am pleased that Labour in Scotland now appear to be backing the SNP position on allowing our young people and EU nationals the right to vote. I now hope that Labour at Westminster will follow suit and join the SNP in opposing this unfair and discriminatory policy."