1.5m foreigners may settle EU vote

MORE than 1.5million foreign nationals will be able to vote in the referendum on British EU membership.

In its draft referendum Bill, Downing Street is permitting huge numbers of Commonwealth and Irish nationals to take part, basing the franchise on that for general elections. This is despite the fact no other EU country would allow anyone but its own citizens to vote in a referendum.

Today, an amendment will be tabled in the Lords to try to restrict the vote to UK nationals.

The disclosure that so many non-British citizens could affect the vote is financial stability challenges for the Bank of England to manage’, adding: ‘Thus far we have been able to meet these challenges.’

The largely upbeat assessment of Britain’s membership is likely to be welcomed by supporters of the campaign to stay in the EU.

However Mr Carney insisted he was not making an assessment ‘of the pros and cons revealed in a report by Migration Watch, which describes it as ‘wrong’.

The think-tank’s chairman, Lord Green, who will propose the amendment, said: ‘The aim, in a nutshell, is to ensure that the future of Britain is decided only by those who are British citizens.’ of the United Kingdom being in Europe’. It came as the Bank published a 100-page report exploring how membership of the EU affects its ability to manage the economy and the financial system.

Mr Carney said ‘further financial and fiscal integration’ was needed within the eurozone to shore up its creaking economy and ensure