Voting age may be reduced to 16 apparently. Good idea?

[Nanny0gg]

As it says in the title. Labour still seems keen on this idea. Personally I think it's bonkers - I look at my DGC and they are just not old enough yet.

AIBU?

Any child, regardless of their age, will pay tax if they're earning money (above the initial threshold)

I work with young people. A lot of them have more political knowledge than older people because they’re not reading the same propaganda shitrag each day.

If they’re old enough to die for our country - I know a 16yo about to join up - then they should be able to vote.

I think it’s a good idea, and they definitely should have been able to have voted in the Brexit referendum. They had their lives completely screwed over without any say whatsoever.

I think it's a great idea @Nanny0gg. It will be interesting to see the sectors this group prioritise.

I can't see any mention of it being restricted to 16 year olds who are working "or in the military". That's just the rationale for introducing it, ie that 16 year olds already do these things.

There are no such restrictions in Scotland and Wales which are the examples being mentioned.

IF they bring this in perhaps it's also time for 16 and 17 year olds who commit certain crimes to be sent to prison rather than young offenders institutions.

16yo are not old enough to die for the country. They can join, and train, but cannot see active service until 18.

16 year olds can work, but can and should be in (free to them) education. Their parents remain responsible for them. That a small proportion earn enough to pay tax doesn't change that 16-18 is a time for growing up. Society needs them, for the most part, to be in education and society is happy for that to be at the tax payers expense.

At 18 they become adults, responsible for themselves and responsible for making a contribution.

I don't see anything wrong with giving 16 year olds the right to vote. However, I can't see most of them bothering to do it. The young demograph are already less likely to vote that the older generations.

Dd is 17 and an apprentice. She pays tax.
Does she have a view on current politics?
Definitely.
Would she be bothered to vote? Probably not.

If you can get married, drive, join the army and work full time before you are 18 it seems an anomaly that you are unable to vote.

Seems impossible to believe that 18 year olds only got the vote in 1969. The sky didn't fall in then and it won't now.

It's not that a small a proportion. Loads of working class kids leave school at 16 to go into the trades for example. My ds is about to go into s5 and half the kids are leaving to go work with their dads in various trades. It's just unusual amongst the middles classes.
16 year olds can already vote in Scotland.

Agree. I was very politically engaged at 16, as much as I am now tbh at 30. Maybe more so in some ways as I had more free time to devote to it. Of course not all 16 year olds but not all 30-something year olds are anyway.

16 year olds can vote in Scotland in Scottish parliament elections. Introduced by SNP for very reason you say, they get more votes from the youngsters who vote with their heart and not economic reality

Fair point.
perhaps some kind of citizen test or aptitude should be required. I can’t see that happening; nor would I want to actually.

Looks like we’re stuck with the system we have. But making it more representative of the affected population would help I think

My DD was 16 when she voted in the Scottish referendum. She and her friends had very sensible and enlightened discussions around it and all diligently cast their votes. I think it is a great idea to encourage youngsters to consider their future and vote accordingly.

The argument that “they are too young and don’t understand”

What in the name of all that is holy has understanding got to do with voting ? How much "understanding" is going on when someone says "I would never vote <x>" or "Voted <y> all my life" ?

Why should tax determine voting status? My profoundly disabled sibling will be more affected by a change in government than most people on this thread, should he be disenfranchised? Over my dead body.

16 year olds can vote in Senedd elections and local elections in Wales. I think there is no real difference between this new cohort of voters and adults in terms of understanding of/engagement with politics.

Scotland has had 16 year olds voting for years not in GE obviously but in scottish/local elections. .there will be kids who vote because they are interested and want their voices heard and there will be others that spoil papers or have no interest.in voting like over 18s do.

I didn't realise Wales was the same.

Depends on the 16 year old. Though it's not like the so called adults in the room have made decent decisions for the last 70 plus years, or have any ability to understand the long term consequences of their decisions...

Sortition would sort 'em !

Good idea, 16 year olds will be getting jobs, joining military, going to university between an election when they’re 16 and the next, it’s important they get to vote in the elections.

I support this.