Barry Gardiner, Shadow International Trade Secretary and MP for Brent North, campaigning in Barnet on Saturday, said:
“We’re asking everyone in Barnet to make sure they are registered to vote in the council elections in May. Barnet has a history of problems with voter registration and there’s a risk that if you leave it to the last minute you won’t be able to vote.
“Many EU nationals don’t know they can vote in the 2018 council elections. We are encouraging them to use their democratic right to vote and have their say on the Conservatives’ poor management of council services.
“For EU nationals, this is their one chance to vote against the Conservatives’ irresponsible mishandling of Brexit negotiations and the damage this is causing to our relations with the rest of Europe. We still don’t know the detail of the rights that may or may not be protected for EU nationals in Barnet and their families after Brexit.
“The three Conservative MPs in Barnet and the Conservative council openly support Theresa May and Boris Johnson and their dangerous approach to Brexit. The council and Barnet’s Conservative MPs are happy to risk the UK leaving the EU with a bad deal for jobs and the economy, or even no deal.
“The Conservatives only control Barnet Council by one council seat. If Labour wins Barnet it will send a powerful message to the Conservative government that they must put jobs and citizens’ rights first in the Brexit talks from now on.”
There are 28,851 non-UK voters registered in Barnet who can vote in the council elections but who were not eligible to vote in the General Election or the EU Referendum. Labour canvassers have spoken to hundreds more non-UK voters who are not on the electoral register and is encouraging them to register.
Barnet Council is controlled by the Conservatives with a majority of one – the current make-up of the council is 32 Conservatives, 30 Labour and one Lib-Dem.
Film of Barry Gardiner speaking to Barnet Labour campaigners: