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.

I can't engage any further if I can't see the conversation to respond properly. Quote or don't bother.

The majority of them don't want to vote anyway! 😆 And the ones who do (as I said earlier) know naff-all about politics and economics and finances etc anyway, and have NO life experiences.

How the fuck is this being allowed to happen?! Voting at 16 COME ON! 😂 As I said earlier, and some others have said, it needs to be raised - to 21. Not bloody dropped! (To 16!) Farcical!

https://www.itv.com/news/2025-07-16/votes-at-16-half-of-16-and-17-year-olds-against-lowering-voting-age

I think in the conclave Archbishops over the age of 80 are not allowed to vote but are allowed to participate. Or something like that.

The argument that some of the electorate not being fit to vote means we should let another section of people who are (potentially) unfit to vote vote too doesn't stand up to any sort of scrutiny though.

The fact that something is imperfect is not a good reason to justify making changes to make it even more imperfect.

Not a bad idea.. after all when democracy was first ‘invented’ it was understood that those voting were intelligent, and informed. As we know, this is certainly not the case these days..

If 16 year olds can vote, why shouldn't they serve on juries too ?

Could you imagine the cost attached to that...

Equally, the logic that they've been able to join the military to defend a country whose democracy and leadership they haven't been allowed to have a say in is equally screwed up.

I'm pleased they've been given the vote. A bunch of predomantly old people voted to strip them of their right to live, travel and study freely in Europe. Our decisions have impacted them heavily.

It’s a good thing, anyone saying different is just guilty of ageism

I certainly know I was very politically aware at 16 and was working full time

No taxation without representation

I don't agree letting 16 year olds vote is making the imperfect system even more flawed. You must have a low opinion of 16 and 17 year olds.

A cost that might actually pay dividends.

And I say 8-12 thereafter! Wooohooo!

I'll bite.

A 16 year old is (and likely will be for another 5 years) in the mindset of "I'm given money to do things" and not in the mindset of "the money I earn can go on either option A or option B".

Political parties are always offering stuff (and never talking about the consequences of that offer). Labour particularly so.

We have pushed people to staying in full time education or training until 21. Once upon a time 15 year old joined the workforce, as workers or apprentices. They started to understand how the world actually works.
16 year old don't understand that they are living on everybody else's dime (health, education, police, etc)

What 16-21 year old is rationally going to vote against government handing out money (to anyone) when they're currently living with the "be kind" mantra.. It simply doesn't affect them.

The 87 year old is almost certainly living off their own money as well as their state pension. They have 70 years of experience about making choices and unintended consequences.

Sure, they'll probably vote for triple lock and WFP, though many don't, but I'd guess most of them can make more rational and considered decisions than a 16yo

I’d class my dc as politically switched on, she’s studying politics. Lots of her classmates in A level politics were same - very engaged on sm, debating etc.
But the actual logistics of registering for a postal vote or turning up at polling station with correct ID not so switched on.
She didn’t register for a postal vote and was away at uni. Was spouting away and didn’t like me saying well you cba to vote. She fell back on the wouldn’t have made a difference (reform landslide) but in one area near us it literally went to one vote in it. Didn’t like me saying kids her age weren’t bothered as I’d seen virtually no yp her age in the 15 hours I’d sat at polling station. One kid had gone to trouble of getting a voter authority certificate for council for ID but she was a one off.

Although of course we know that those in power love a dumbed down masses. Easier to control and all that.

@Digdongdoo oh I see. I thought I'd be waiting a while for this list of major life choices that we permit 16 year olds to make

I think all the people who are permanent residents of this country should also be able to vote. We live here, so we should decide who rules this country and it's laws. I don't understand why Commonwealth citizens can vote and not the others, what's the logic?

It was predictable people would make this about a "put-down" of 16 year olds.

Noone thinks not letting 5 year old votes is having a low opinion of them. On the contrary, its accepting them as being at the time of life that they are at.

Its not belitting them to accept they aren't fully mature.

Exactly. Also, benefits bashers have a tendency to bang on about 'taxpayers funding their benefits' when plenty of those in receipt of benefits do actually work and are therefore also taxpayers. My dcs receive DLA. I've worked and paid taxes since leaving university nearly 30 years ago, and I still do.

Labour vote is pretty evenly spread across social class If there is a "core vote" it is abc1.

If you could bother to quote properly, you'd see that I already listen several. But selective reading and poor tech skills is your affliction, and I can't be arsed to repeat myself and search for my previous posts.

I hope this doesn't increase attempts by some naughty teachers to tell children how to vote and keep perpetuating the myth that Labour is the nice party and the Tories are the nasty party

Agree. My Mum has her polling card sent to her care home every election. She Alzheimers and does not know where she is or what’s happening from one moment to the next, just about recognises me but no one else. And yet she’s expected to vote. In the early days of her illness this was a major cause of anxiety and stress for her.

I'm ok with being predictable.

It is incredibly patronising to suggest they're not mature enough.

Many adults I have met are not fully mature - perhaps we should give eligible votes maturity and intelligence tests before allowing them to vote.

@Digdongdoo what a convenient response