Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to change the rights of EU citizens resident in the UK to (a) stand and (b) vote in local elections before the local government elections in England and Wales in 2021.

The May local elections were postponed until 2021 due to Covid-19.

In that context, the UK Government can confirm that resident EU citizens will remain able to vote and stand in the rescheduled May 2021 local elections in England (including London Assembly elections) and the May 2021 Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales. Those elected to office will be able to serve their full term and this will also apply to those elected before 2021.

The franchise for local elections are devolved in Scotland and Wales.

As I noted to the Hon. Member in previous answers, the UK Government has been clear that the issue of local voting rights of EU citizens living in the UK needs to be considered alongside the rights and interests of British expats living abroad.

The Government has signed bilateral voting rights agreements with Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg in 2019, and with Poland in May 2020. We continue to work on further bilateral voting rights agreements with other EU member states.