Reform’s Danny Kruger calls for end to Commonwealth voting rights

Reform UK’s Danny Kruger says the long-standing rule that allows Commonwealth citizens to vote in British elections should be scrapped, arguing that only British citizens should have a say in choosing the country’s government.

Speaking to GB News, the East Wiltshire MP set out a series of amendments he is bringing to the Representation of the People Bill when it returns to Parliament next week. The changes cover voting eligibility, election materials, postal voting and what he describes as “family voting” in polling stations.

Kruger says the current system is a historical anomaly that no longer makes sense. Under existing rules, qualifying Commonwealth citizens living in the UK can vote in parliamentary and local elections even if they are not British citizens. He argues that this means people who are only temporarily in the country can have the same voting rights as British citizens.

“There are 2.5 million Commonwealth citizens, not British citizens, here on visas, temporary work visas, on student visas, on family visas, by definition not attached to our country,” he told GB News. “But they’re here on some temporary basis because of this quirk of our electoral history, and they have the right to vote in parliamentary elections and in local elections. We think that is wrong.”

He says the proposed change would apply to all Commonwealth countries, including those often seen as close allies. Asked whether Canada, New Zealand and Australia would also be affected, Kruger replied: “Absolutely. Absolutely. If you’re not here, if you’re not a British citizen, if you’re not invested in our country, it’s a very important principle.”

Kruger frames the reforms as part of a wider effort to create “one nation, one electoral system”. Alongside ending Commonwealth voting rights, he wants election materials to be restricted to English, Welsh or Cornish, arguing that voters should understand the system in which they are participating.

“All election materials should be in English or Welsh or Cornish, if need be,” he said. “Election material is already policed. You have to declare where the material has come from. It will be illegal to issue election material in foreign languages.”

He also wants to tighten the rules around postal voting, with Reform proposing that it should be limited to members of the armed forces and people who are genuinely unable to vote in person.

“We’re also banning postal voting except for people in the armed forces or people who are literally unable to vote in person,” Kruger said. “People should be participating in this important ritual, this shared endeavour, including our government. And that needs to be done by a single community of the British people, all understanding the language.”

Another change he is pushing is a crackdown on what he calls “family voting”, where one person accompanies another into the polling booth and influences how they vote. Kruger says this undermines the secrecy of the ballot and should be stopped.

“If you don’t understand the language, if you don’t understand the voting system, if you’re being led through the voting booth by your elder, your family member, your father or your husband and told how to vote, that should be illegal,” he said. “We’re introducing amendments to stop that. We’re insisting on the traditional British model of elections. You vote on your own. It’s a secret ballot. You’re not coerced by other people. You understand the electoral system that you’re participating in and you’re a British citizen.”

Kruger links these proposals to the wider debate about immigration. Earlier in the interview, he criticised the rise in settlement grants and said governments of both parties had “lost control of our borders”. He argues that the scale of immigration has now created what he describes as a significant challenge to the democratic system.

“These seem essential elemental principles that I suspect people will be surprised to hear we don’t have already,” he said. “But our democracy has been abused over many years. And because of the rate of immigration that we’ve just been discussing, we now have a significant threat to our democracy.”

Reform UK will bring forward its amendments when the Representation of the People Bill returns to Parliament. Kruger says the party intends to change the rules and establish what he describes as the traditional British model of elections.

“So Reform is introducing these amendments to change all of that,” he said.