“It does seem a bit odd that if you are a French citizen living in Bali, then you can vote in the European Parliament elections, yet if you are an Irish citizen living in Belfast you can’t.” – writes Else Kvist, of New Europeans UK.
Questions were raised at the UK Parliament, as to why Irish and British citizens living in Northern Ireland cannot vote and stand in the upcoming elections for the European Parliament – despite the region in effect remaining in the Single Market. The issue was raised by the former Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Jane Morrice, who helped architect the Good Friday Agreement more than 25 years ago. It comes at a time when the Northern Ireland Assembly has just got up and running again after two years of stalemate over the Brexit trade agreement.