Britons ‘should have known date could be pushed back’

The Conseil d’Etat rejected a case on behalf of a Briton who had been unable to register to vote as he missed the French deadline of March 31.

French barrister Julien Fouchet argued that France should have allowed Britons to register after the usual closing date as it was not clear before that Britain would still be in the EU for the election.

Mr Fouchet said: “A lot of other Britons I had also applied on behalf of are now stuck too.

“Now the court has heard –and rejected – this case, others will not be heard.”

Many EU citizens living abroad in the UK were refused the right to vote at polling stations on May 23.

Either they had not completed a special form confirming they were not also voting in their country of origin, or their forms had not been processed in time.