The Reform UK leader, who suffered defeat in Gorton & Denton at the hands of the Green Party, confirmed he intends to end lax enfranchisement rules that allow Commonwealth citizens to register to vote.
Mr Farage insisted the current law gives Commonwealth citizens the same voting rights as British nationals, provided they meet specific conditions.
The conditions, set out under the Representation of the People Act 1983, state that Commonwealth citizens qualify to vote if they have leave to remain or do not require leave.
Mr Farage’s claim followed reports of illegal family voting in the Gorton & Denton by-election, with police now investigating allegations that 12 per cent of voters were affected by the outlawed practice.
However, Mr Farage is also looking to limit access to postal voting to the elderly, the disabled, serving armed forces personnel, and those working overseas during an election.
The Reform UK leader previously warned about postal voting issues in 2019 when the Brexit Party narrowly missed out on winning a crunch parliamentary by-election in Peterborough.
Writing in today’s Sunday Telegraph and Mail on Sunday, Mr Farage said: “For too long, postal voting has allowed our elections to be turned into a laughing stock, riddled with fraud, intimidation and outright cheating. It’s been allowed to go on for years and has poisoned trust in our democracy.
“Meanwhile, allowing non-Brits – people with zero connection to this country – vote on our future is absurd. It is right that only British citizens should be able to vote in British parliamentary elections.
“That’s why a Reform Government will immediately ban wholesale postal voting and ensure only British citizens can vote in elections in order to bring back trust to British democracy.”
Postal voting was first introduced for people serving in the Armed Forces shortly after the First World War.The Reform UK leader claimed 48 per cent of residents are foreign-born in Longsight
Following a series of extensions to civilians, Sir Tony Blair made the practice available to anyone who requested postal ballots in 2000.However, Reform UK’s proposed change looks set to mirror France’s decision to outlaw the electoral practice in 1975.
Mr Farage is pushing for such changes amid mounting allegations of voter fraud and sectarianism in the Gorton & Denton by-election.
Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer saw off Reform UK’s Matthew Goodwin with a majority of 4,402 votes.Meanwhile, Labour’s Angeliki Stogia failed to defend a majority of 13,413, falling behind both the Greens and Reform UK.Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer won the by-election by more than 4,000 votes
However, the Green Party’s shock victory was marred by accusations of dirty campaigning after videos released in Urdu were described as “whipping up hatred” by including images of Benjamin Netanyahu and Narendra Modi.Mr Farage is now suggesting Reform UK won in Gorton & Denton among British-born voters.
He added: “What happened last Thursday at the Gorton and Denton by-election, in which the Green Party emerged victorious in a historically Labour stronghold, was the most glaring example yet of what happens if we’re not careful about the impact of mass immigration and the legitimacy of those who can vote in our elections.”
The Reform UK leader claimed 10 per cent of the constituency was born in Pakistan, with the proportion of foreign-born residents jumping to 48 per cent in Longsight.
However, Mr Farage’s detractors have accused him of playing from Donald Trump’s 2020 playbook.Mr Trump peddled unfounded claims that the 2020 US Presidential Election was rigged in favour of his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden.
A Green Party spokesman said: “This is an attempt to undermine the democratic result and is straight out of the Trump playbook.“We’ve just won a historic by-election by a comfortable margin.“We’ve shown the country that Greens can beat Reform, despite their big business donations.”
Nigel Farage has sparked fresh debate in United Kingdom after declaring that a government led by Reform UK would move to restrict voting rights in general elections exclusively to British citizens. Speaking after his party’s defeat in the constituency of Gorton and Denton, Farage argued that the current system—under which certain qualifying citizens from Commonwealth countries can vote in UK elections—undermines national sovereignty and raises questions about electoral integrity.
Under existing UK law, many citizens of Commonwealth nations who are legally resident in Britain are permitted to vote in parliamentary elections. Farage said he believes this rule should be changed so that only individuals holding British citizenship can take part in choosing the national government. According to him, the proposal is intended to strengthen public confidence in the electoral system and ensure that decisions about the country’s future are made solely by its citizens.
The announcement immediately triggered strong reactions from across the political spectrum. Supporters of the proposal say it reflects concerns about immigration, national identity, and democratic accountability. Critics, however, argue that the current voting rights reflect long-standing historical ties between the UK and Commonwealth countries and that removing them could exclude communities that have lived and contributed to Britain for generations.
Political analysts say the debate highlights broader tensions in UK politics over migration, citizenship, and the meaning of democratic participation. As Reform UK continues to position itself on issues related to sovereignty and borders, Farage’s proposal is likely to remain a controversial topic in the national political conversation.
