16 & 17 year olds to be given the vote

[Whereishenow]

Just seen this announcement on BBC now. Amazing news!!! Now we just need to try and get youngsters out USING those votes.

Do you have teens, if so I hope you like them more than you are displaying here.

That chart looks out of date, Reform don't feature much for any age group, the Tories feature a lot more which definitely isn't right.

The same ones that supposedly don't develop a full brain until 24/25. They are treated as children at the age of 19/18, they are going to vote at 16/17.

We are nuts, not them, us.

We absolutely should do this.

So they can have a vote but not be named if they murder someone? Makes no sense. But then this is labour.

Most 18 year olds are still in school too. So by your logic they shouldn't vote either.
16 is the age where they start to make many life long decisions - A Levels, college, apprenticeships, military etc. It is in no way comparable to a 13 year old.
Why would you increase the voting age to 21? What is the reasoning?

The more you think about this, the less sense it makes even politically.

Who's the most popular British politician on TikTok? Yup, Nigel Farage. By a long way - check his following.

Labour are so out of touch they think this will genuninely benefit themselves. It won't. It's just turkeys voting for Christmas and giving you free cranberry sauce in to the bargain.

It's from July 2024:

https://www.electionanalysis.uk/uk-election-analysis-2024/section-2-voters-polls-and-results/youthquake-for-the-progressive-left-making-sense-of-the-collapse-of-youth-support-for-the-conservatives/

I wonder if he also thinks that nobody under 35 should be allowed to vote for the US president?

But can we trust teachers to give impartial information when politics is often about opinion rather than hard facts?
DH worked in a university (yes I know that older students!). Several staff left under pressure because they wouldn’t toe the line that men could become women.
I’ve worked in schools and the views in the staff room are very left wing; I’m not sure these could be hidden in the classroom.

Probably. Given that their voter bases sway older.

It’s at a benefit to society. Politicians will finally be motivated to look after the youngest in society and not be fully focussed on pensioners.

I’m pleased. I have a dd who is 14 and wants to study law and politics. She’s very interested in what’s going on in this country and the world. In a few years she’ll be even more knowledgeable and I trust her as much as the next person to vote.

That sounds really useful. I did some of that studying law A level. Understanding re local government especially is poor.
We do a Parliament week in girlguiding every year.

And how is that different from over 18s blindly voting for whoever the Daily Mail or the Guardian tells them to?

it's already 16 for Scottish elections. My 2 were really keen to vote when their time came but they have been brought up going to the polling stations with me and knew why it is important. They knew people who weren't interested and didn't vote

@Fairyliz if you had strict guidelines, like with religious education, i think it could be workable.

It's about understanding how different opinions can change our lives. I think we need more education on those nuances of opinion.

At my core, I would describe myself as a lib dem voter - with the possibility of swaying towards Labour. I can see good policies across most parties and I think it's important to be able to have those nuances. The sports-team style obsession with left/right politics is what's destroying the world to be honest. the 'I'm right, you're wrong discourse is frankly terrifying and stops any genuine progress ever being made.

So we're going to give children the vote. Whoopee.

I know plenty of people 60+ with 'life experience' who are ignorant and stupid.

What was all the life experience when people voted for Brexit?!

Anyone who has taught 16 year olds will tell you this is a spectacularly bad idea.

Maybe you at 16 didn't have the life experiences but many do. Many young people are young careers, see domestic abuse, work, have experienced homelessness, see the failures of the school system. Yes some 16 year old are uneducated about politics but guess what many adults also are. Some people who are in their 30s, 40s know very little and choose to not educate themselves about the news.

Many young people study politics and in fact know much more than many adults. They have a right to be able to have an impact on the future they'll live in. Think about climate change, or SEND in schools, or the misogyny many girls are facing in schools. I've seen young people start their own campaigns in the local areas and schools to help their peers. You cannot generalise a whole age group and the best thing that can come from this is more politicians focusing on young people. More youth clubs, or support for those vulnerable to crime, more funding for sports etc.

Also at 16 you can have control over your medical decisions, work etc. So just because they cannot do everything, doesn't mean they do not warrant further responsibilities. I know many adults, that know very little about how public institutions work and politics. Many adults who likely lack the knowledge to vote.

@Digdongdoo 18 years olds will be in the final weeks of school and transitioning to university/jobs etc. it is the age that our country deems them to be adults. You haven't answered my question, if 16 is ok why is 13 not? What's your rationale? Mine is that whilst it might not be perfect, using the marker of what is considered adulthood in our country to permit people to vote seems sensible.

For what it's worth, I'd increase the voting age to 21 in line with what we know about brain development and associated maturity and critical decision making. But I'm lieu of that, I'd rather we just used some common sense and chose state identified adulthood as a marker for when we allow children to influence the running of the country

Chat GPT estimates the number of 16 and 17 year olds paying tax on income is likely in the single figures as a percentage of the population. Those in full time education are unlikely to work enough hours to reach a threshold where they need to pay tax. I thought all UK children needed to be in some sort of education full-time until 18 yrs now

Absolutely bat shit mental. Obvious gerrymandering by a desperate Labour govt.

Again, the polls don't back up your opinion at all. Do you think that all teens who use tik tok believe it to be the gospel, Tik Tok is just something to be laughed at for most. Do you honestly believe 16/17 year olds believe in the ramblings of a 59 year old in a pin stripe suit, most of them will have parents a generation or two below and not listen to them. Equally, do you think these kids who value Reform's principles are going to find their way to a Polling Station!

I was a very politically tuned in 16 year old so would have loved this.
My kids could not care less (despite my efforts).

I get that 16 year olds can't legally do a lot of things but I do feel it might balance out the fact pensioners vote and make choices that work in their favour and get to decide the way the country is going when they're not going to be around to see the effects (cough, Brexit).

On the other hand we know how vocal young people can be on some issues which aren't representative of the general public (TWAW etc..) so that could get us into trouble... But could also work in our favour if they all decide green issues are important and it forces the country to really invest in the future.

But hey, that's democracy isn't it, we don't all agree😁