LABOUR’S Shadow Treasury Financial Secretary has defended plans to extend the right to vote to EU nationals working in the UK.

James Murray MP told GB News: “Let’s put this in context. This is an internal Labour Party discussion about policies ahead of the next general election. There are many more stages to go through before things get in the manifesto, so this is not our policy yet.

“But let’s be really clear here, whenever we’re discussing things around voting, it’s a delicate issue, I think it should be carefully considered about how they would work in practice and so on.

“I think there is a general principle that if you are contributing to society, if you’re paying your taxes, then you should have some kind of say over what happens in your local area. But as I say, there’s a lot more Labour Party process to go through here before the general election manifesto is decided on.”

In a discussion during Breakfast with Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster, he continued: “Whatever we decide, in terms of the the manifesto for the Labour Party, it will be the best decision for the UK.

“We need to put the UK at the front of our minds when considering what the right approach is for us. But as I say, these are delicate issues that need to be carefully considered.

“This is not a Labour Party manifesto policy, this is a discussion, an internal discussion within the Labour Party that will happen over summer and into autumn and beyond.”

He added: “I think that some of the reactions to it are getting a bit ahead of themselves. And I think really, we should think about, you know, what do we need to do to strengthen our democracy in all sorts of ways, you know, not just in terms of voting, but also about restoring trust in politicians and in politics and after all the damage done under the Conservatives?”