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| Britain to Curb Who Can Vote in E.U. Membership Referendum | Britain to Curb Who Can Vote in E.U. Membership Referendum |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| LONDON — With the Labour Party accepting that a referendum on British membership in the European Union is inevitable, the Conservative government announced on Monday that the list of eligible voters would be similar to that of the recent general election — meaning that most European Union citizens living in Britain will not be able to cast a ballot. | LONDON — With the Labour Party accepting that a referendum on British membership in the European Union is inevitable, the Conservative government announced on Monday that the list of eligible voters would be similar to that of the recent general election — meaning that most European Union citizens living in Britain will not be able to cast a ballot. |
| The decision was hardly a surprise given that Britain will be deciding, before the end of 2017, whether to remain inside the European Union. The large euroskeptic wing of the Conservative Party has been pressing for a referendum, as has the U.K. Independence Party, which favors a so-called Brexit. | The decision was hardly a surprise given that Britain will be deciding, before the end of 2017, whether to remain inside the European Union. The large euroskeptic wing of the Conservative Party has been pressing for a referendum, as has the U.K. Independence Party, which favors a so-called Brexit. |
| UKIP, which received 12.6 percent of the vote in the general election this month and came second in 120 seats, has urged that the referendum not include the estimated 2.7 million citizens of other European Union countries who are working and living in Britain legally, according to government figures. | UKIP, which received 12.6 percent of the vote in the general election this month and came second in 120 seats, has urged that the referendum not include the estimated 2.7 million citizens of other European Union countries who are working and living in Britain legally, according to government figures. |
| As in the general election, British citizens ages 18 and older and residents of Britain who are from Ireland or the Commonwealth — the 53-member organization made up mostly of countries that were formerly part of the British Empire — will be able to vote. This includes citizens of Cyprus and Malta who live in Britain. British nationals living abroad for fewer than 15 years will also be able to vote, as will the residents of Gibraltar. | As in the general election, British citizens ages 18 and older and residents of Britain who are from Ireland or the Commonwealth — the 53-member organization made up mostly of countries that were formerly part of the British Empire — will be able to vote. This includes citizens of Cyprus and Malta who live in Britain. British nationals living abroad for fewer than 15 years will also be able to vote, as will the residents of Gibraltar. |
| In last year’s referendum on Scottish independence, those 16 and older could cast a ballot, as well as foreigners living and working in Scotland, but Scots registered in the rest of Britain could not. | In last year’s referendum on Scottish independence, those 16 and older could cast a ballot, as well as foreigners living and working in Scotland, but Scots registered in the rest of Britain could not. |
| Prime Minister David Cameron, fresh from winning a majority in the May 7 election, has promised to negotiate “a better deal” for Britain in the European Union before putting membership to the vote. He was scheduled to meet Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, for dinner on Monday, to discuss Britain’s desires. | Prime Minister David Cameron, fresh from winning a majority in the May 7 election, has promised to negotiate “a better deal” for Britain in the European Union before putting membership to the vote. He was scheduled to meet Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, for dinner on Monday, to discuss Britain’s desires. |
| Mr. Cameron had tried to block Mr. Juncker’s appointment last year, but Mr. Juncker has said he will do all he can to persuade the Britons to remain in the union. | Mr. Cameron had tried to block Mr. Juncker’s appointment last year, but Mr. Juncker has said he will do all he can to persuade the Britons to remain in the union. |
| On Wednesday, the conservative government’s priorities will be laid out in the Queen’s Speech to Parliament, which will include the referendum legislation. On Thursday and Friday, Mr. Cameron will visit Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Poland and Gernany to discuss Britain’s wish list for the European Union, which Mr. Cameron will present as overhauls that would benefit the entire bloc. | |
| Mr. Cameron wants to reduce the number of European Union citizens coming to live and work in his country and to protect the economy in Britain, which does not use the euro, from rules intended for the countries that use the common currency. | Mr. Cameron wants to reduce the number of European Union citizens coming to live and work in his country and to protect the economy in Britain, which does not use the euro, from rules intended for the countries that use the common currency. |
| Other European leaders have said that some changes might be made when new immigrants can qualify for some benefits, but that the principle of free movement within the bloc cannot be altered. | |
| The Labour Party, after a devastating defeat, has decided to vote for legislation establishing the referendum after having opposed it during the recent election campaign. As Mr. Cameron has a majority, the law would most likely pass, so the interim Labour leader, Harriet Harman, said on Sunday that “there does not seem to be the public appetite for us to man the barricades” against the inevitable. | |
| “We will vote for the bill and then get into the big questions for and against Europe,” she said. | “We will vote for the bill and then get into the big questions for and against Europe,” she said. |