16 and 17 year old getting the vote.

[Pixxie7]

Is it me or is the idea of 16 and 17 year olds worrying. Where does it lead and are we destroying their childhood. Whilst I appreciate there a few who understand the implications of a vote many do not.

I think its a really good thing. The younger people take an interest in these things, the better. Ideally schools would teach more about current affairs to help their votes be informed decisions. But there are plenty of intelligent, informed 17 year olds and plenty of ignorant adults so I don't think age is necessarily relevant.

In Scotland you can get married at 16 so it really seems odd that you do that but you can't vote.

Its hardly ruining their childhood to give them a right to a say in their future.

Well, if you can serve your country at 16 why can't you vote?

@GrimDamnFanjo you can join the military at 16, but can't deploy until you are 18.

I think 18 is reasonable to be honest, most people by then are actively thinking about their future and becoming more aware of what's important to them. You have to draw the line somewhere, I'm sure if it was lowered to 16 you would get younger people still disappointed that they cannot yet vote.

When my DC2 was 16 they could have made an informed choice in an election, but DC1 and DC3 would have not have been focused on current affairs at that age.
I wish we all had to answer some really basic questions; “What do the initials MP stand for?”etc. level, in order to become eligible to vote rather than it being an age qualification. Impossible I know ...

Just thinking on it, from 16-22 I followed politics really closely due to classes and coursework so I was pretty clued up on the goings on. My judgment voting back then would have been much better informed. Lots of young people are probably more passionate too...about stuff in general. Where as when we get older we can sometimes get a bit disheartened with the whole thing.

At 16 you can marry, get a job, have kids, rent a house, join the army (and die for your country); but you can’t vote or drink. It’s a stupid set of rules. How is voting more of an adult commitment having a baby or marriage?

DC1, now at uni, was LIVID at the Brexit referendum result that they couldn't vote for...Should be a decent counter to the doddering fogeys.

Nice. . And transparent.

join the army (and die for your country)

You can't go to war until you are 18.

I knew lots about politics at 16, and would have voted responsibly.

The fact that 16 and 17 year olds couldn't vote in the Brexit referendum and will likely be dealing with the consequences their whole, long lives, is dreadful.

I think they should get the vote, at 16 you're going to be 20ish before next election so in that time you're going to be thinking about further education, jobs, moving out of parents house into somewhere of your own, all areas that governments can change and will effect them, they should get to vote.

I think they should be allowed to vote, they are interested and invested in the outcomes.

But I think youngsters in England and Wales should receive a better education on civics.

Here in Scotland they are taught modern studies which is a fantastic subject where they are taught about how our govt is organised, our voting system, what the parties stand for, how legislation shapes our culture...

My dd had a far better education in Scotland on related matters than the virtually non existent education on such matters I received in England. And while I haven't been involved in the English education system myself for some years I have friends who are both as parents and teachers and when I have described how things are up here they say they wish there were an equivalent in England.

But even without that, older voters can be ignorant and poorly informed but still vote, I see no reason why 16 year olds should be prevented from voting when in many ways they are considered adults, certainly here in Scotland.

I think generally that’s the age you start to become politically aware, I certainly did. I remember being very vocal about the Iraq war and that’s with only newspapers and television delivering the news to me. I imagine the potential for youth political engagement is much greater with social media.

I think teenagers are not given enough credit for their maturity and intelligence. Plus you can leave school and pay taxes/NI at 16 so why not get a say in how that money is spent?

Won't happen

The parties need to sort their youth wings out if they want to do that. At the moment they cover university students and/or young professionals, and often rely on university societies doing the hard work in the 18-23ish bracket.

I think many 16 year olds would struggle with working out what the parties are saying and doing, it's hard enough for more experienced and worldly-wise adults!

(They are technically open to people younger at the moment, but realistically safeguarding gets very difficult if you're trying to cater from age 12-30. Are parties going to want to put the effort in to solving that?)

This thread has just reminded me that my now-18yo DD should register to vote! Thank you.

are we destroying their childhood

Sounds a bit dramatic. I'm not in favour of it, but it would hardly destroy their childhood. They'd probably think it was pretty cool - then they'd forget to turn up because it clashed with football practice.

They can get married, join the army, take jobs that may make them taxpayers etc. So why can't they vote?

I think that there is a strong case in favour of giving them the vote.

I studied politics at gcse and a level, I took a very keen interest in current/political affairs.

BUT I don't think was informed enough to vote for my own opinions.
At that age I think a lot of young people are heavily influenced by their parents and teachers, so even with all the information given/available to them, they will vote/not vote for a party because of what's said at home/in school.
I know there will be exceptions, but I think it's this way for the majority.

They should be able to vote. After all we let Daily Mail readers vote

I think it would be a great idea. My DD2 was able to vote in the Scottish referendum when she was 16. She and her peers took it very seriously and discussed it a lot before they voted. We encouraged her to make up her own mind and not be influenced by others.

Shipping news@ probably wrong use of words, I was thinking of expecting them to grow up too quick.

They should be able to vote. At 16 I think most children are educated enough to vote

My 10 year old takes an active interest in politics, more so than many adults. I think 16 is a good compromise. Yes they could be influenced by teachers (though they are supposed not to express political views), friends and parents just as over 18s can be influenced by co-workers and parents. By 16 I had completely rejected my parents political viewpoints. None of my dc are old enough to vote, even if lowered to 16 but they can all tell you what proportion of their classmates support Brexit because children now discuss these issues. If the voting age was lowered then maybe politicians would have more incentive to lay out their manifestos clearly to explain the implications.

Nope. If it was done now it would purely be yet another attempt to delay/cancel Brexit.