To think parents should be given a proxy vote for their children

[OldLondonDad]

Bit of a random topic for AIBU, but since we've had a few threads recently on politics and taxes, why not?...

A decade or so ago I thought it seemed that those who will impacted most by today's policies have the least (no!) say in them. Our politics are largely shaped by the vote of the oldest section of society and the youngest just have to live with it.

Solution? Give parents an extra vote per child. They will be highly likely to use it in the way that benefits their child, so the country's policies will be more likely to favour the young (and the future of the country) rather than the old.

There's a name for the concept - demeny voting. It gets considered here and there in various countries, but what does mumsnet think?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demeny_voting

(no I'm not a journalist / politician / think-tank analyst etc., just a regular dad)

I would say the kids of today are much more politically motivated than my generation was at that age on the whole.

Well yeah, to be fair it's not a fully thought out policy or idea, that was just a suggestion.

I just think it's an interesting idea and one we should be able to talk about and come up with ideas on rather than everyone just complaining that it's "not fair".

Well the current system isn't exactly fair, children literally have no respresentation in voting. Although 50% of people on this thread seem to say that they do have representation because their parents vote in their interests i.e. split their vote between themselves and their children and the other 50% seem to think it's a bad idea because parents won't vote the same way as their children - also not fair because in that case children are even less represented.

Again, I have no skin in this game (childless) but think people without the capacity to vote are under-represented.

Tell you what, why don’t we try to improve the system we have; such as

Reform of the House of Lords - make the second chamber electable
Proportional representation - quit the first past the post
No more black / white referenda- more first past the post
Scots/Welsh governments to require second houses/ review on bills - legislation should not be too fast

FWIW I am childless but I care very much about the world my nieces / nephews are inheriting

That doesn't mean they are necessarily best placed to vote in their own interests though.

Really, the only issue that should be vexing the next generations are how to cope with climate change.

I haven’t seen any bile spitting on this thread. The only one doing that is you.

Yes, some people have strange ideas. How about limiting child free people on having any opinions?
😆

Young people are just as likely to care about elderly, as the elderly are about the young. That's why policies are geared towards benefitting pensioners, since they're the ones who vote. For the most part in their own interests
I totally agree that people more than ever vote for their own interests. However older people have been young and can understand better the issues faced by younger people. Younger people, understandably, can hardly think of the time they will retire, let alone when they might need care.

They absolutely CANT understand the issues faced by younger people! They grew up in a totally different world to the one we live in now! That's why you often hear older people banging on about "avocadoes" and "coffees" when there is talk about how housing is unattainable for young people.

Bloody stupid idea for many reasons, and I'm not appreciating the ageism and nastiness about people without children, either. But I do think that voting ought to be compulsory and perhaps from the age of 16 on.

They absolutely CANT understand the issues faced by younger people! They grew up in a totally different world to the one we live in now! That's why you often hear older people banging on about "avocadoes" and "coffees" when there is talk about how housing is unattainable for young people
Yes of course, when you listen to the media, they love the narrative.

In reality, yes, older people do think younger people are more spoilt and less resilient than they were, but they also recognise the struggle they face with getting jobs, getting on the ladder and childcare. They know because they often have to intervene with their own families.

Absolutely. MNHQ has repeatedly made it clear that the forum is open to those without children.

Please look again at all the comments about people having to pay tax to fund other people’s kids/their neighbour with six feral kids being less entitled to a vote than they are. The mention of how bad we are for the environment and should get less votes not more. This tone creeps in repeatedly and it’s maddening in a forum that I’ve used for 20 years but has become more and more anti-kids. Rather like the rest of the uk! I understand if you’re child free by choice you might not like kids. But to come on a forum that parents come to to find help and support is just a bit rude.

I am childfree and I have been here about as long as you have. I don't think I'm rude in coming on here.

To return to the OP - no, I don't agree with this. I think voting should be compulsory though and there should be far more education around politics available to everyone.

No - principle one person one vote. I am childfree and don’t resent paying tax towards schools at all.

A stupid idea but evee wen if in place the most vulnerable children would not benefit - abused children where the Council is corporate parent.

They shouldn't be mutually exclusive.

But yes, completely agree on your first two. I find it ridiculous that we don't have PR and are stuck with first past the post, and was disappointed when that wasn't changed a few years back. But it seemed it was too complicated for most people to understand and the default position of most people is simply "keep doing what we're doing cos change is scary".

Not quite sure what you mean on the third, and don't know enough about Welsh and Scottish system to comment.

The biggest single All Party Parliamentary committee is looking into electoral reform. There's almost complete cross party support for it (apart from Reform I believe).

There is a general acceptance that a system which can deliver a majority with less than 50% of the votes is open to questions of legitimacy.

If, I said, if.

If parents, including parents of adult offspring, considered their children’s and grandchildren’s interests when voting then extra votes for parents of young children would not be necessary. The interests of the young would already be a vote winner.

If parents don’t consider their children’s interests when voting then giving parents of young children extra votes won’t help their children.

I don't have any time for the view that young people are somehow disenfranchised because older people have more conservative views and are also more inclined to vote. It's ageist and offensive.

I'm 55 and some of my views are different to the ones I had thirty years ago partly because I've got more life experience. I've seen more electoral cycles and I've seen the economy grow and contract, in some ways I've become more cynical. If anything that makes me a more informed and considered voter than the average 18 year old who might be more inclined to actually believe what politicians say.

I would say THIS post is pretty ageist actually. And I'm 49.

My kids don't have the same political views that I do so they wouldn't be impressed if I voted my way on their behalf.

Kids will get the chance to vote when they are an adult unless they are severely learning disabled and so are never able to vote.

It's interesting that probably the most consistent idea in responses on this thread is "1 person, 1 vote".

Which is exactly the point. How are the ~20% of the population who are under 18 getting their vote? They currently have no representation. Yet they have the most at stake in long-term decisions about how the country is run.

If not through their parents' voting, then how can they be represented?

They aren't disenfranchised because older people vote. They are disenfranchised because they are disenfranchised.

It's not a zero-sum game. A young person voting doesn't take away from an older person's vote. It just gives them a vote where today they have none.