People who go on holiday during an election would be “disenfranchising themselves” under Reform UK proposals to curb postal voting, one of the party’s MPs has said.
Danny Kruger said anyone wanting to cast a ballot would “need to do it in person” unless they are “literally unable to get there” under the plans. Reform has called for sweeping changes to the electoral system, including removing the right of Commonwealth citizens to vote and banning campaign material in foreign languages.
Postal vote limits proposed
Postal voting would also be limited to serving members of the armed forces and others such as elderly or disabled people who are deemed “unable to vote in person”.
Asked whether the party was effectively disenfranchising people who happen to be on holiday when an election takes place, Mr Kruger, the Reform MP for East Wiltshire, told Times Radio: “Absolutely not, no.
“If people are not around for the day in which the election is happening, they’re disenfranchising themselves.”
Reform defends in-person principle
It was put to him that holidaymakers can cast postal votes under existing rules, to which he replied: “If you want to vote in our elections, you need to do it in person. That is a traditional principle.
“The postal vote is an exception awarded to people who are literally unable to get there.”
Reform also argues its proposal to remove the right of Commonwealth citizens to vote would prevent “hundreds of thousands of immigrants from influencing our choice of political leaders in parliamentary elections and local government elections in England and Wales”.
Under existing rules, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen is defined as someone from a Commonwealth nation who has been granted permission to enter or stay in the UK or who does not require such permission.
Labour and Lib Dems hit back
Labour said Nigel Farage had voted by post himself at the 2024 general election and “as ever, it’s one rule for him and another for everyone else”.
A party spokesperson said: “This is yet another desperate attempt by Reform to deflect attention from the scandals Nigel Farage and his top team are drowning in.
“It’s time he came clean with the public over his secret £5 million ‘gift’ and rid his party of the enormous amount of sleaze and scandals that have come to light.
“The integrity of our democratic system is something Labour will always protect. That’s why we’re taking tough action to safeguard our democracy through the Representation of the People Bill.
“Meanwhile Reform wants to stop people voting if they go on holiday, despite Nigel Farage having voted by post himself. As ever, it’s one rule for him and another for everyone else.”
The Liberal Democrats said Mr Kruger’s remarks about postal voting showed how “wildly out of touch” Reform were.
The party’s Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart said: “Whilst Nigel Farage can jump on a private jet to get wined and dined in Mar a Lago, when its hardworking Brits trying to head off for a break, they get slammed by Reform UK.
“Threatening to take away postal votes and telling people they are disenfranchising themselves from democracy simply for taking a holiday shows just how wildly out of touch they truly are.
“We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder.”
