This Council notes:

·            That all our residents, no matter their nationality, bring significant value to our area.

·            37% of Mancunians were born abroad and 12% are from the European Union (EU). They live, work, study, make use of public services, and call Manchester their home.

·            Many of our foreign-born residents from EU and Commonwealth countries can vote in our local elections.

·            However, our residents born in non-EU and non-Commonwealth countries cannot. 

·            Scotland and Wales have implemented residence-based voting rights where all residents with lawful immigration status have the right to vote in local and devolved national elections.

·            A poll conducted by Number Cruncher showed that 63% of people agree that all residents should have the right to vote in local elections in England and Northern Ireland.

·            The current complexity in voting eligibility causes confusion and will reduce voter turnout in local elections amongst migrant voters, a group which already has a disproportionately lower voter registration rate compared to British voters.

The Council resolves to call upon our leader, Councillor Bev Craig to:-

·            To write to the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, requesting that the Elections Bill be amended to extend local election voting rights in England and Northern Ireland to all qualifying foreign nationals in line with voting rights in Scotland and Wales.”

·            Write to the Minister of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities requesting that the franchise for local elections be extended in England and Northern Ireland to all qualifying foreign nationals in line with eligibility criteria in Scotland and Wales. This would ensure a UK-wide and fair approach so that all our residents who are also our council taxpayers are enfranchised.

Proposed by Councillor Bayunu, seconded by Councillor Abdullatif and supported by Councillors Johnson, Wiest, Nunney, Northwood and Kilpatrick.

Councillor Bayunu submitted the following motion, which was seconded by Councillor Abdullatif: -

This Council notes:

• That all our residents, no matter their nationality, bring significant value to our area.
• 37% of Mancunians were born abroad and 12% are from the European Union (EU). They live, work, study, make use of public services, and call Manchester their home.
• Many of our foreign-born residents from EU and Commonwealth countries can vote in our local elections.
• However, our residents born in non-EU and non-Commonwealth countries cannot. 
• Scotland and Wales have implemented residence-based voting rights where all residents with lawful immigration status have the right to vote in local and devolved national elections.
• A poll conducted by Number Cruncher showed that63% of people agree that all residents should have the right to vote in local elections in England and Northern Ireland.
• The current complexity in voting eligibility causes confusion and will reduce voter turnout in local elections amongst migrant voters, a group which already has a disproportionately lower voter registration rate compared to British voters.

The Council resolves to:

Call upon our leader, Bev Craig to;

• to write to the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, requesting that the Elections Bill be amended to extend local election voting rights in England and Northern Ireland to all qualifying foreign nationals in line with voting rights in Scotland and Wales.”
• Write to the Minister of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and

Communities requesting that the franchise for local elections be extended in

England and Northern Ireland to all qualifying foreign nationals in line with

eligibility criteria in Scotland and Wales. This would ensure a UK-wide and fair

approach so that all our residents who are also our council taxpayers are

enfranchised.

Councillor Lyons moved an amendment to the motion, which was seconded by Councillor Muse, as follows: -

This Council notes:

-          That all our residents, no matter their nationality, bring significant value to our area.

-          The 2021 Census showed that 31% of Mancunians were born abroad and 12% are from the European Union (EU). They live, work, study, make use of public services, and call Manchester their home.

-          Many of our foreign-born residents from EU and Commonwealth countries can vote in our local elections. However, our residents born in non-EU and non-Commonwealth countries cannot. 

-          Scotland and Wales have implemented residence-based voting rights where all residents with lawful immigration status have the right to vote in local and devolved national election

-          A poll conducted by Number Cruncher showed that 63% of people agree that all residents should have the right to vote in local elections in England and Northern Ireland.

-          The current complexity in voting eligibility causes confusion and will reduce voter turnout in local elections amongst migrant voters, a group which already has a disproportionately lower voter registration rate compared to British voters.

This Council Further Notes –

-          We welcome the positive comments by Sir Kier Starmer around voter residency when he said in 2021 that he is in "favour of voting rights for everybody who has contributed to our society." And the policy was subsequently accepted into Labours policy forum.

-          This Council has consistently campaigned against the unfair electoral changes that have disenfranchised the 2 million citizens without the correct photo identification.

-          We applaud the recent investigation by the Sunday Mirror Newspaper into how the "Tories are rigging the General Election rules" and the observation from the Independent Electoral Commission that the Government is "telling the umpire how to enforce the rules of the game."

 This Council Resolves –

-          To support the cross party Migrant Democracy’s campaign for Residence Based Voting Rights and call on Manchester Labour MPs to continue to show their support

-          To continue to campaign against the to suppress votes in this country by enforcing facial identification requirements for the general election, whilst appointing overseas coordinators to make it easier to vote from overseas.

-          To call on all Councillors to stand up to the attacks on our electoral system by this Tory government and call on all Councillors who support residency-based voting rights to vote Labour for a Labour government to implement them.

Councillor Bayunu indicated that she had agreed to the amendment and that the amended motion would be the substantive motion to be considered.  

The amended motion was put to the Council as the substantive motion and the Lord Mayor declared it was carried.

Resolution

This Council resolves:

-          To support the cross party Migrant Democracy’s campaign for Residence Based Voting Rights and call on Manchester Labour MPs to continue to show their support.

-          To continue to campaign against the to suppress votes in this country by enforcing facial identification requirements for the general election, whilst appointing overseas coordinators to make it easier to vote from overseas.

-          To call on all Councillors to stand up to the attacks on our electoral system by this Tory government and call on all Councillors who support residency-based voting rights to vote Labour for a Labour government to implement them.