to think that lowering the voting age to 16 is a stupid idea?

[CrystalTipsandAlista1r]

in fact, I'd rather it was raised to 25.

16 does seem too young in general but YABU to want to raise it to 25.

Frankly I don't want any wet behind the ears Momentum brainwashed wanna be Che Guevara making decisions affecting my life, thanks very much.

That’s fine, but can I then say that I don’t want any ignorant, aging racists who have their nose buried firmly in the Daily Mail making decisions affecting my life, thanks very much.

They have done this in Jersey - hardly any of them bother. The party that promised to legalise cannabis or promised them all iPhones would massively increase their votes!

Bad idea, I love the way people have been suggesting all kind of changes for voting because in their eyes people vote for the ‘wrong’ people

CrystalTipsandAlista1r
in fact, I'd rather it was raised to 25

My son joined the Fire Brigade at 18, he's saved countless people, he's also qualified as a co-responder. He's also been paying a considerable chunk of tax for all that time.

He was 25 in January.

Are you seriously saying my son shouldn't have been allowed to vote?

"Most 16 year olds fresh out of education"

They're still in Education!!!

My DD2 voted in the Scottish referendum at age 16. She and all her friends discussed it in depth and we're all very knowledgable. More so than many older people I know. She was cured she had to wait until she was 19 to vote on others elections and was very excited when she could vote in a general election. Young people are much more politically aware than you would think. I reckon 16 is a great age to start voting.

God no! I am the proud owner of a grammar school attending, very bright 16 year old......but he's an opinionated pain in the arse with zero maturity and real life experience. I would not place such a huge burden on him yet.

If political awareness is the measure- what makes you so sure that being 18 or any age above makes that more likely?
And for maturity - well let me see 🤔🤔🤔

Basically the view is that 16 year old are good for sex and working but forget that they might actually have a say in things.

My parents are in their 70s. Both think the Daily Mail is gospel. Neither have ever lived outside their hometown or have any experience of the UK or elsewhere outside a very narrow viewpoint. Both are poorly educated and neither really understand politics. By the time the impact of their political decisions are felt, they probably won’t be around to experience the repercussions.

Compared to that i’d Welcome 16 year old voters. But then I live in Scotland and despite being English, much prefer the system here and have been impressed with the engagement of the youth vote.

I think it’s a good idea to lower the voting age to 16.

Ok, so many 16 year old wil lack the maturity or life experience, but the same could be said of 18 year olds.

The biggest advantage of lowering the voting age, IMO, is that if you can spark an early interest in politics, in years to come you may increase the number of people who continue to vote once they are over 18.

We are sadly apathetic about politics and voting in this country. Anything we can do to increase the overall turnout (as a percentage) at elections is a good thing.

I'd much rather see ages for things like getting married and leaving school raised to 18 than allowing 16 year olds to vote.

Well considering there was a report this week saying that whilst the 'yuff' are more left leaning, they failed to turn out at the GE to vote.

One would have thought Emily Thornberry would have thought about this before banging on about lowering the voting age at PMQs.

Maybe they had Diane Abbott looking over the report.

The key issue is whether 16 or 18, very few youngsters are politically aware, and I actually think this is one of those situations where schools need to be encourage discussion and debate.

I would see the education system reformed so children have a basic understanding of Political Philosophy at a younger age (which should hopefully stamp out the ‘Labour are Communists/ Tory’s are facists dictators rhetoric.

I would then want to see more discussion around current affairs, all the parties and their manifestos introduced over the years.

The youth aren’t stuck in their ways with bad voting habits, so giving them the tools to make fair decisions is a fresh way to tackle our political climate.

I think that childhood is finishing later, and that the voting age shouldn't be lowered as everything else is unchanging or moving the other way.

Childhood is probably finishing later as young people are being trapped by policies they cannot do anything about as they aren't allowed to vote to try and change them.

My Dd has voted twice... once at 16 and once at 17 as the Scottish Parliament allow them to.

She's done better research than me. She's voted because she's researched. Not any old willy nilky choice.

She's quite into politics and would do well!

Mhairi Black is an amazing MP who got in at age 20!

Well considering there was a report this week saying that whilst the 'yuff' are more left leaning, they failed to turn out at the GE to vote

Perhaps because by the time they get to 18, they already feel that politics isn’t for them. By lowering the voting age, perhaps by the time they get to 18, they will be engaged in politics earlier, and therefore be more likely to vote at 18 (as well as at 16 and 17).

Great. Labour can rely on the youth who may not be aware of what labour does to the country. It needs rebuilding after they've financially and morally fucked it. They love quantitive easing....devaluing the pound.
Great for Labour.

No taxation without representation, so yes 16 yr olds should have the vote.

On the hand, I firmly believe a basic test should have to be passed to be able to vote. That way we’d be more likely to avoid bullshit decisions such as Brexit because ‘I wanted to mix it up a bit’ as my 30 yr old BIL said (note he’s never voted before).

The test I invisage wouldn’t be particularly difficult to pass - questions like who is the current PM, name the two largest political parties, where is the Houses of Parliament? etc. Taken by all who wish to register on the Electoral Register and refreshed every decade.

A lower voting age would make political discussion in schools more meaningful. Discussing something that you can't engage in for a few years becomes meaningless.

Many adults have voted in a life long rut of a single party because they came from a particular background and that's what you vote for. They don't actually look at whether that party suits their interests currently and at local/ national scales. They access a limited range of biased information. I don't think that's necessarily better than a more black and white viewpoint in youth.

People are disillusioned with politics because they don't feel represented. Involvement at a younger age could help.

Plenty of 16 year olds are more switched on and in touch with current affairs and politics than plenty of 26 / 36 / 46 / 56 / 66 / 76 /86 year olds.

I don't think it's a crazy idea at all.

I agree there should be some neutral teaching about the political system, current affairs, bias in the media (that used to be briefly covered in English language lessons, not sure whether it still is) and a look at manifestos of political parties every year in school - not just a couple of lessons in one year, because that's easily missed/ misunderstood / forgotten.

I agree it shouldn't be lowered. I think as has been said that it's a ploy by labour to get more votes. The "older" voters are leaving in droves and becoming gradually more disillusioned with labour so for them it seems wise to target those that have little real life experience who are more likely to vote the "right" way, more likely to want to conform with peers, easier to trick with a few well placed memes, who are less likely to research and more likely to blindly believe without question the pervading dogma on issues such as immigration and trans rights. Not even freshly brainwashed from school. Still right in the middle of it!

This essentially sums up my thoughts on the matter:

www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/votes-for-16-year-olds-grow-up/20962#.WnLWPf-nzYU

easier to trick with a few well placed memes, who are less likely to research and more likely to blindly believe without question the pervading dogma

Like a majority of Brexit voters?

Why not just introduce pre-qualification for voting, and then automatically disqualify anyone that might not vote “the right way” regardless of age?

"Like a majority of Brexit voters?"

No. Older people generally don't do memes. That was my point. And voting Brexit was hardly portrayed as a great thing to do in much of the MSM

I agree that 16 is too young. Most 16 year olds aren't working, don't have to think about issues such as taxation, pensions etc, i.e. the things that policies are constructed around.

Whilst 18 year olds are also young, they are legally adults and therefore should have a say.