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.

Even some kids who are currently 11 could vote in the next election. eg. DOB 01/08/2013 is 11 now and will turn 16 on 01/08/2029. Next election can be as late as 15/08/2029 (ie. 6 weeks after election is called, which must be by 04/07/2029).

But the truth is that no-one is voting for policies and parties that have a 20 year view, let alone a 60 year view.

Most of the perverse outcomes of Thatcher, Blair, or Brown don't even become apparent until 20+ years after they've gone.

This was in their manifesto. I'm glad they've kept their promise. Brings it in line with Scotland (and I think Wales?)
I teach teenagers they are way more politically savvy than my parents and their friends who have dementia etc who get postal votes and told how to vote by their spouses

The frontal lobe is not “fully formed “ until 25

Blimey, how many people do you know with dementia or are they just older people and you think all older people have dementia.

There may well be a difference in voting habits between disadvantaged and more middle class kids of course. My gut says the latter are more likely to vote, but I have been wrong about loads of stuff, like the Brexit result, so who knows.

Erm....because an 87 year old has been working and paying their bills and taxes for decades. They have also a wealth of life experience.
A 16 year old has none of these experiences. A 16 year old is a child. They know nothing about anything. The human brain is still developing until you're in your early 20s.
Labour have done this because they know full well young people are far more likely to be on the Left of the political spectrum because they are highly impressionable idealists.
I cannot believe the sheer stupidity of your comment.

Erm....because an 87 year old has been working and paying their bills and taxes for decades.

Hardly any 87 year olds are working. And some will have never worked. And not all will be paying taxes.

The paying tax rationale doesn't stand up to any scrutiny. Everyone who buys anything pays tax. Tax on Income is far from the only tax we pay. So 8 year olds spending their birthday money pay tax. The fundamental question is that if they are considered mature enough to elect a government to make the laws we must all abide by, why are they not considered mature enough to get a tattoo or buy alcohol or enter into a contract or numerous other things.

You wouldn't celebrate a 16 year old having a baby though as most would be ill equipped for the responsibility.

He's hoping to stack the decks in his favour, but it will backfire hilariously. There's a massive surge of support for Reform in that demographic, and most 16 year olds are too busy trying to get into someone's knickers and posting on social media to give a crap about voting - so only the ones who really really care (the ones who are surging towards Reform) will bother to vote.

This is a slow motion trainwreck and I'm here for it.

But 87 year olds are mostly completely out of touch with the realities of life in 2025! If they did work, then chances are they haven't done e for 20 years or so. They are on a fixed income. They almost all have secure housing. Their "life experience" is of a different era, when council houses were available, jobs were potentially for life and you could buy your first home for about 3 times the average salary, university costs were paid for by the state.
What do they know about education, job searching, the housing crisis?
You may not agree with 16 or 17 year olds having the vite because of a lack of maturity, but to say they understand the world less than an 87 year old is ridiculous.

@Whereishenow are you saying 87-year-olds are selfish and will vote in their own interest? By that logic you must think that all 16-17 year olds and those up to an “allowable” age are all super-altruistic and casting aside what might benefit them.

Yes I want every rapists who is not convicted to be convicted. Why do you not? Would you rather rapists walk free to rape some more?

I can see many teachers rubbing their hands at the prospect of a captive audience…

Honestly I think MOST people are selfish and vote in their own interests whether they're 16 or 86. It's human nature. So at least having younger people voting would hopefully mean their issues get a look in as well.

There probably will be some who try

Also even if the 87 year olds are somehow LESS selfish than the rest of us (doubtful) if they do t understand the issues in the world how can they know what is needed to fix them?

Captive in that they will be able to deliver the curriculum? Or are you talking 70s here?

And yet people under 25 hold down jobs and relationships, get degrees to doctorate level and until the recent past the majority of first time parents were in this age group. So it’s clearly not a big deal.

Or so one paper says. Many more say the opposite.

Try what?

Its terrible that those on the 'right have such a poor opinion of teachers and of their own children.

I am quite enjoying the fear from those on the right. Oh, the flapping and screeching!

It’s very disingenuous to try to deny that many teachers have an agenda.

Perhaps look at the aims and affiliations of some teaching unions.