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

[CrystalTipsandAlista1r]

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

I believe they should be allowed to vote. We need to stop babying young people. They are far more capable than they're allowed to demonstrate these days. Instilling a voting habit early on is important and it's easier to do that when they are at the school and able to discuss the issues in class. I saw it in action during indyref and it was great. They (mostly) had a real interest in the process and in the outcome. They could see that it directly impacted them. I think that generation will go on to be much more politically aware.

If sixteen year olds can work, they should be either given their earnings tax free or allowed to vote.
Otherwise it’s taxation without representation.
Which is a disgrace any way you look at it.

Perhaps they’d be more politically engaged if they were actually given a stake in controlling their future. The world is a different place and our current leaders’ decisions will have a huge effect on teens’ future.

I think TabbyTigger makes an interesting point.

You can go through all of your post school education, get married, have kids, buy a house, buy a car, be employed and paying taxes and do all of that without having had any say in the government that runs the country.

Yet at 16 and 17 all of those choices are going to be expected of them. University or college applications, student loan applications, career choices and even family choices all being made ahead of preferences about what kind of country we live in.

Perhaps we ought to instigate testing for fitness to have the vote after retirement?

Think it is a great idea. We treat young adults like ninnies in this country. Why shouldn't they have the vote?

Graph, thanks for input on Scottish situation re tax .Surely 16 year olds were allowed to vote in Scottish referendum if not UK general election.
You cannot join army or marry at16 in England/Wales without parent approval. Pretty sure England/Wales 16 year olds don't pay tax.

Graph, 16 year olds in Scotland can vote in council and Scottish Parliament elections, just not Westminster ones.

Children at 14 can get jobs, pay tax and have babies but I would not agree that 14 year olds should have the vote.

Most children at 16 are in school and very few are paying tax. It is not appropriate for all of them to have the vote. We dont trust them to watch 18 films, to smoke, drink, get a tan, bet, get a tattoo, buy fireworks, etc It makes no sense to say they can vote for our parliament when we can not trust them to do some very basic things.

Do we really want MPs in school canvasing Year 11's, do we want teachers political views influencing students, do we really want to open up politics to the bullying in the school playground and swayed by the latest meme circulated in the school toilets.

It would be ridiculous to lower the voting age to school children.

you cannot get married unless your parents say so, you cannot drive a car.......
cannot do many of the things that are seen to require a rational adult mind. And voting is one of those things

Yes you can get married if your parents don't give permission and you're 16. You take it to court and the courts will usually rule in your favour to be married (providing you show maturity)

MPs would never be allowed in schools to canvass. When an election is called there’s certain rules you have to follow - so it would be ok to have local mp in to talk to classes but not in run up to an election. Teachers were not allowed to say how they were voting in Indy ref.
Must say I’d hate to see mps desperately trying to appear down with the kids to secure votes. But it would be very balancing for them to have to appeal to very old and very young.

MPs would never be allowed in schools to canvass
And yet during the Scottish Independence referendum, many authorities in Scotland allowed the official campaign groups into schools to give their spin.

I dont want to see politicians spinning anywhere near schools in England.

"Yes you can get married if your parents don't give permission and you're 16" and without going to court either, if you are in Scotland.

But not many do any more, do they?

I'd like to see a more unified age for 'adult' entitlements, rights and responsibilities, and I think it should be 18

16 year olds have to show a judge they are mature enough to marry at 16, because most 16 year olds aren't.
We used to be considered adult at 21. There has been a constant drive to lower that, and it hasn't always worked out well.

YABU. Not RTFT yet because I'm too impatient and can't keep my mouth shut on this issue

We have a huge problem here with voter apathy. Allow 16yos to vote and you get them into the habit more easily than if you wait until they're 18.

There aren't enough 16 and 17 yos to make any kind of dent in the outcome of elections, but by catching them young at least some might stick with being politically engaged as they grow up.

The Scottish referendum where 16yos could vote, and the EU referendum where they couldn't, really opened my eyes to this.

They should be able to vote.

I was politically active from about 14 (earlier at school, but 14 was when I joined a political party) and I left home and was living an adult life from 16.

But I don't think 16 year olds should be made to take on adult responsibilities, so I agree with the OP, the voting age shouldn't be lowered.

Almost all of the things we won't allow 16/17yos to do are things which could do them harm. These rules are for their own good.

I don't see the harm to them or to society in allowing them to vote.

DS is doing Govt & Politics at A Level and I would say he's got more of a handle of politics than I have. He's got though-through opinions on everything. He would be more than capable of voting responsibly now.

thought-through

Almost all of the things we won't allow 16/17yos to do are things which could do them harm. These rules are for their own good.

They can have a firearms licence at age 14, so can be trusted to keep and shoot a rifle but not to vote.

Dozer. If they vote, they pay tax. Most won't earn enough but, for example, any savings however small is taxable. Only adult benefits to which they are entitled. Which are taxed. Etc.

I teach this age. A lot of them are intelligent and capable of making an informed decision. A lot are thick as bricks /wilfully ignorant and not capable. Do you know what though? That's pretty much true of adults!

I think you should have to pass an exam before you can vote. Obviously the questions would be set by me and I'd mark it....
But I do think it's a bit of a bizarre system to have people who don't understand economics etc vote. But it is best system wE have I think. And most parties don't live up to their manifesto commitments anyway.

It's the tax thing and the needing mummy's permission to marry or join the army.
The gun thing? Sport? I got nothing on that.