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.

Ah, mocking disabled people with a sprinkling of xenophobia as a garnish.

Nice.

Perhaps, but that doesn't make the assertion that it should be disregarded purely because a country has lowered it's voting age any less asinine or incoherent.

Because there are plenty of 16 year olds who are more mature than many adults.

As pointed out already, if we are going to make brain development the criterion, we should be withdrawing the vote for anyone over a certain age, or anyone showing even early stage dementia.

Why is this good news for Reform?

Are all the posters who don't want 16 year olds to vote now going to vote Reform to stop it?

And yet in Scotland it is the outcome of real life court cases.

This. The slating of younger generations is awful, and not just on MN. So many adults of all ages seem to have a complete superiority complex. Meanwhile as a collective we have left young people more in the shit than they have ever been.

Feel free to ignore it then and feel you are right. You don't need my permission.

It is good news because 1.6m 16/17 year olds are going to win the 2029 GE for Reform whilst simultaneously keeping Starmer in power.

There should be an IQ test to be able to vote.

And yet in Scotland it is the outcome of real life court cases

Again, you are entirely incorrect, because even the case you are referring to the defendant did not leave court "without punishment".

I'm fine with this, as long as everything a 16yo has to wait until 18 to do/say/take responsibility for is commensurately lowered to 16. Essentially, the new age of adulthood becomes 16

Yes his conviction was overturned! What a punishment!

That would be a logical end point to the argument that 'they're not mentally ready to vote' - because if that is the issue then we also need to weed out all of those in the current electorate who are not 'mentally ready to vote' for other reasons - low IQ, cognitive decline, learning difficulties, acquired brain damage, untreated mental ill health - the list of exclusions would be very long.

Note that I am not advocating this - but it is the logical conclusion of the antis' argument against extending the franchise.

I think it's a great idea - my DS is 16 and he is really politically minded and would consider carefully who he voted for, much more than my dad in his 80s who has mindlessly voted for the same party through thick and thin.

TBF Chat GPT gets a lot of things wrong, it can only find/discover what someone else or AI has put there.

Which is often very wrong.... i believe there is a term for this....

It said i need to upgrade my wheels to go 12speed, from 11speed bicycle gears, this is bollox...

Anyone who trusts Chat GPT 100% shouldn't be voting lol!!!

Why? That isn't the case in Scotland and Wales, where 16/17 year olds are able to vote in parliamentary elections.

There's no reason that isn't something to work on.

The fact it hasn't been isn't in itself an argument for 16 year olds voting.

He was acquitted because the judge misdirected the jury.

Still nothing that backs your ridiculous assertion that Scottish Law "supports" rapists or that the Hogg trial gives a "green light" to them.

You still haven't explained either how this has any bearing on marriage laws or voting entitlement, beyond some baffling nonsense about the outcome of one specific legal trial apparently indicating a flawed "system"

I find it useful more often than not.

Certainly I trust it more than some of the stuff that comes from individual posters or single source references as it tends to be an aggregation of many opinions.

It's a bit like wikipedia in that respect. Not perfect but generally correct.

Because of the law!

It most certainly does. If the system doesn't punish then how is it even a criminal offence. It is then a legal illegal thing.

The turkey doesn't vote for Christmas.

You were the one bringing up Scotland as being the one that is supporting child marriage and it being grand.

I believe Labour are doing it because they believe it will get them more votes.

Much the same way as the Tories messed around with voter ID.

Whether actually it will or not, that is another question.

I think historically the electorate doesn't seem to take it too well when parties try to mess around with the electoral system for their own benefit.

History shows they tend to see it for what it is.

The manifesto was also decided on when Reform had pre GE levels of support, which have since risen, and Corbyn’s party wasn’t a factor.

Because of the law!

This is not a reason.

It most certainly does. If the system doesn't punish then how is it even a criminal offence. It is then a legal illegal thing

Pardon?

You were the one bringing up Scotland as being the one that is supporting child marriage and it being grand

You appear to be even more confused than I first thought. I said nothing at all about "child marriage being grand". I pointed out in some parts of the UK 16&17 year olds can be married, so it's incorrect to make the blanket assertion that they can not.

@pointythings I don't get it, I love my young friends & family.

Yep it is a reason.
Not confused at all.

Maybe you shouldn't vote.