DAVID Cameron's proposals over who can and cannot vote in the planned EU referendum have been denounced as a "democratic disgrace" after it emerged Christian Allard, the French-born SNP MSP, would be banned from voting in the in/out poll under them.
The Conservative Government's plans, contained in the first piece of legislation to be published after tomorrow's Queen's Speech, will mean only those able to vote in a general election can take part in the referendum - due to be held before the end of 2017 - together with members of the House of Lords, Commonwealth citizens in Gibraltar as well as Irish, Maltese and Cypriots resident in the UK.
But the decision would ban 1.5 million other EU nationals living in Britain - including almost 90,000 European citizens who were eligible to vote in last year's Scottish independence referendum - from having a say.
Also, the 1m-plus 16 and 17-year-olds across the UK, including the 100,000 in Scotland who voted in last September's referendum, would also be prevented from taking part under the Tory plans; seen by some as a sop towards the party's Eurosceptics.
Mr Allard said: "EU nationals across Scotland make incredible contributions to their communities and to our national life, pay taxes and contribute to the economy; for their voices to be silenced on this crucial issue by an out- of-touch Tory government, pandering to its own right wing and to Ukip, would be nothing less than a democratic disgrace."
The MSP noted how some 90,000 EU nationals played a key role in the Scottish referendum and for the Tories to deny 1.5m EU citizens the chance to participate in the forthcoming poll based simply on their nationality was "completely indefensible".
Humza Yousaf, the Scottish Government's Minister for Europe, described the exclusion of EU nationals as "utterly perverse" given citizens from several countries outside Europe will be eligible to vote. He will now raise the matter with the UK Government "in the strongest possible manner, urging them to reverse this illogical and discriminatory policy".
Questions were also raised over why expats who had lived abroad for more than 15 years would not be given a say, despite the Conservative manifesto promising to axe the time-limit in favour of "votes for life".
In a related development, Mr Cameron is under increasing pressure over his EU franchise plan because it would exclude 16 and 17-year-olds.
Hilary Benn, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, said it was "a matter of principle" that young people should be allowed to take part.
The move is backed by the SNP and other opposition parties and former Tory MP Laura Sandys, who chairs the European Movement, said excluding 16 and 17-year-olds would make young people feel the decision is "being taken away from them".
But Eurosceptic Conservative MP John Redwood said it was a "myth" that young people were interested in the issue and accused pro-Europeans of seeking to "hijack" the referendum to bring in voting reforms they thought would help their cause.
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