At the March meeting, I informed the group that all Commonwealth citizens are entitled to vote in all British elections, including general elections, as soon as they arrive here, without actually being British citizens.
Chris Hill told me - and everyone - that I was wrong and that they can only vote in local elections. Actually, I was correct: they can vote in all elections including general elections.
As there are now nearly one million Commonwealth - but not British - citizens in the UK and entitled to vote in general elections, they could make a difference in close elections. That's in addition to all those who have acquired citizenship.
Now we know why this Labour government is so keen to encourage immigrants to enter by the millions; they are hardly likely to vote against the party that opened the door to them. So we British people seem to be in a race between now and the next general election: can Labour let Commonwealth citizens in faster than they are losing British votes? Bear in mind that when we talk of the immigration of - voting enabled - Commonwealth citizens we are not talking about former Zimbabwean farmers, Canadians or Australians; it's overwhelmingly Islamic Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.
So if you want this government gone, get to your polling stations and VOTE!
At the meeting I also talked of the lack of checks on people putting themselves - or as we have learned from the recent trial of councillor Khan (now there is a good Pakistani Muslim name) from Slough, non-existent people - on the electoral roll; and of how in conjunction with the new rules on postal voting, that can be used fraudulently to gain multiple votes. The theoretical example I gave had one man gaining himself nine votes. Councillor Khan showed that it can be used for one man to gain hundreds of votes.
Everything I said at the meeting, and have reiterated here is confirmed in the House of Commons Select Committee on Constitutional Affairs. Read it all here:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmselect/cmodpm/243/243we22.htm
It wont take long to read.
Write to your M.P. Express your unease at this entire situation. Politely request that legislation be rapidly enacted restricting the vote in general elections to British citizens only; that the rules on postal voting revert to the old rules whereby only those people physically unable to get to the polling station can have a postal vote; that proof of citizenship be required for registration on the electoral roll (not difficult; a birth certificate or certificate of naturalisation will do).
That will do just for starters. I have more to say on electoral issues at a later date.
Neil Turner M.P. can be contacted via this website:
http://www.writetothem.com/
Don't forget: be firm but POLITE. YOU are the master, he's the servant. But you shouldn't be abusive to your servants, as any good old-fashioned English gentleman will tell you. But don't let him fob you off either.
If you are interested in the doings of Mr Turner, try here:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/neil_turner/wigan
You might find it interesting what he's voted for and against, how much money he takes out of the system (that's YOUR money, remember), how often he has never voted against Blair or Brown, etc. A very interesting website.
I will have more to say about Mr. Turner too at a later date.
Morg
