To think we are being lined up for something?

Jeez 16 and 17 year olds may be "easily influenced by their peers" but they have a stake in the future! Raising the voting age to 21 is about as fair as having a cut off at say 75. Why should anyone 75+ have a vote? They have no idea of how the world works these days.
See? Sounds ageist that way round doesn't it? What's the difference? Why is a 70 year old more "worthy" than a 19 year old?

You can in Scotland

You can’t get married at 16 anymore.

Yeah.. who wants that!! Kids are damaged enough these days without getting PTSD or shot at to boot!

Always better to join the army well post 18.
If you can get a degree in absolutely anything you go in on a higher rank. I have a friend that did a degree in sewing ( can’t remember the full title ) and went in as an officer in the Navy.
As an aside the army have a higher number of servicemen but on the whole are less well trained than Navy or AirForce.

Agree 18 for both

The children of elites may have done CCF, but they were not among the teenage soldiers dying in conflicts like Afghanistan and Iraq. Possible to sign up to the British Army at 16.

Not saying the voting age should be lowered, but it is disturbing teenagers can join the army before they can vote. Maybe 18 for both?

I'd be happy with 16. They can get a job, start paying taxes at 16. Get married, move out. Seems fair to me. But actually my argument was more in response to a PP who thinks people of 18, 19 and 20 should have the vote taken away from them.
And yes EVERYONE has a stake in the future, of course. But the younger you are, the longer the decisions taken are likely to affect you.

He is mad... another reason not to vote for conservatives

The privileged few have probably already done ccf at school.
Its worth noting it’s those that usually join up full time as well which is why there’s a push for a more multicultural armed forces. A recruitment officer resigned after being told they couldn’t employ white males.

Or we could just keep it at 18. Who wants to raise it to 21?

Jeez 16 and 17 year olds may be "easily influenced by their peers" but they have a stake in the future! Raising the voting age to 21 is about as fair as having a cut off at say 75. Why should anyone 75+ have a vote? They have no idea of how the world works these days.
See? Sounds ageist that way round doesn't it? What's the difference? Why is a 70 year old more "worthy" than a 19 year old?

Jeez 16 and 17 year olds may be "easily influenced by their peers" but they have a stake in the future! Raising the voting age to 21 is about as fair as having a cut off at say 75. Why should anyone 75+ have a vote? They have no idea of how the world works these days.
See? Sounds ageist that way round doesn't it? What's the difference? Why is a 70 year old more "worthy" than a 19 year old?

16/17 year olds are too easily influenced by their peers, you only have to see the amount of them thinking they are the opposite sex or identifying as a cat to realise that. God help us if they were allowed to vote.

Problem is, @Sweden99 , those who will live with the consequences of their votes are not just the 16 year olds - it's also those who are younger than 16. So what age will you allow to vote? 15? 14? 13? There has to be a lower age limit somewhere, doesn't there? Many adults of all ages are naive and inexperienced (I'm definitely not one of the sharpest tools in the box - so perhaps I ought to be disqualified from voting) but there has to be a qualifying line somewhere, doesn't there? A lower age limit isn't perfect, but no one seems to have come up with a better suggestion. Until then, we'll have to disagree as to the age one should be to vote- but at least, by the time one is 21 you should have seen a bit more of life than a 16 year old. And as I said, I reckon most 21 year olds will probably elect a Labour government anyway.

Guessing you're a Tory?

The conservatives have such a better deal in terms of how the voting boundaries have been drawn up.

Enabling 16/17 year olds to vote is a great idea in my opinion. Get them to engage in voting while they are young and idealistic.

Letting the old folks run the country hasn't worked, why not try something else?

• My biggest worry is not National Service - that happens in other countries without disastrous results - its the Labour suggestion of votes for 16 year olds. Your 16 year old may be incredibly intelligent and wise, but if they're too young to get a tattoo or enlist without parental permission, they're too young to vote.

Which is about the virtue of democracy and who should get the vote.
If it is about being well informed and having relevant experience, it is a dangerous path.
I suggest that the Government has to gain credibility by consent of those who will live with the consequences and judgement by those who have lived with the consequences.
If naive views and inexperience are disqualifying, you are after an unaccountable elite rule.

Actually I would disagree, the UK is not multi cultural and it should not be. It’s a model which dies not work.

Many people from many different cultures live and work here, but, in order for a society to work at its most effective there needs to be a prevailing culture, Norma’s and values to which all members subscribe, rituals which are shared and understood. It is in the trying to break down this, society is failing, because without this what is society other Han a collection of individuals

As I said @Sweden99 , personally, I'd raise the voting age to 21. That's nothing to do with my political views. (I like Keir Starmer - though his weedy response as to what is a woman does him no favours). I think lots of 21 year old disaffected students would definitely vote Labour and they'd win by a landslide, but at least they would have had some life experiences to draw on before voting.

Of all the typos I have seen on MN, this is the smallest 😂

Wondering where people are “from” is one of the reasons this country is a mess. The U.K. has been truly multicultural since WW2.

Also, even people who are not British may have lived here for long enough to make their own observations, as well as being legitimate voters, that doesn’t make them a “troll” does it?!

Of all the typos I have seen on MN, this is the smallest 😂

Wondering where people are “from” is one of the reasons this country is a mess. The U.K. has been truly multicultural since WW2.

Also, even people who are not British may have lived here for long enough to make their own observations, as well as being legitimate voters, that doesn’t make them a “troll” does it?!