Why would anyone think 16 year-olds should be allowed to vote?

[MsAmerica]

Be honest - think back to when you were 16. Did you have an understanding of a broad range of issues? Did you pay serious attention to national news? Okay, even many adults may lapse on the score, but still, it seems crazy to me.

In the U.S., voting age had been 21 and the only reason it was lowered to 18 was that teens were being drafted to fight in Vietnam, and it was felt as unfair for them to have no say.

I think the Times are right. It's a gamble though. Any sensible 16 year old would look at Labour's policies, particularly the increase in Employers NI which is already leading to a rise in unemployment, and think Labour really aren't for anyone with any ambition. Which is what we would presumably hope for all our kids.

Wow i need to get Rayners lottery number picks... the plan to open up voting to 16/17yo's was in their manifesto long before Reform went way ahead in the 'polls.....

On young activists, plenty are Tories, in fact the Young Conservatives are the largest young peoples political movement in the UK.... according to their website.

It was a toss up between the young Conservatives and young Socialists in terms of membership when i was at 6th form. Notably all the people the young Conservatives invited never replied, and all the people the young Socialists invited did - which is how I met Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone (although not at the same time).

Meanwhile I was marching for CND in the town centre on Wednesday afternoons aged 16 as I am a late baby born in May 😀

The college library also had a copy of Militant!. However it wasn't actually ordered in, someone used to put their copy on the shelves.

Red Wedge anyone ?

This is a perfect example of why 16 year olds shouldn't get the vote. 😉

It was a completely irrelevant example. What's the link between property ownership and voting?

@Alexandra2001 That might be true because young Labour is a bit? However that doesn’t mean it’s not how young people think though.

As for tuition fees? Those who get the benefit of improved lifetime earnings from their degree pay. Why not? Why should the school cleaner or low paid Amazon worker pay even more tax for vast numbers of university students? No one is forced to go to university but 350,000 a year do. It’s 37.5.% of school leavers. Back in 1970 it was 8%. Who is going to pay for this huge expansion ? We knew, as a country, we could not afford it by 2000. The post 92 universities blew the finances apart because we kept on increasing university places and they cost money. We took the cap off student enrolments so vast numbers go so those who have benefited pay - fair enough. Maybe cap places again? Back to 1990 numbers? Or 1970 numbers?

Apprentices? They go to college too!!! It’s part of the apprenticeship. Build in some basic politics/economics into their learning programme. It’s hardly that difficult. However at 16 most dc will have had absolutely nothing bar social media and poorly informed parents - most are. Great, that will help democracy!

Labour probably have done it in fear of Reform but it’ll likely be mixed as votes. I can’t see Labour getting the same support if other parties come into it.

Agreed. I think it will favour the Greens and Reform. None of the other parties.

@Quirkswork Do you think 16 year olds understand employers NI and work prospects? You are right about Lsbour and ambition (excepting doctors obviously) but they don’t care about business and better paid employees who pay most of the taxes!

Reform appear to be losing a few elections of late ...

I think they will notice there are far less part time jobs that young people traditionally had to earn money for college etc. This could be their older sibling if not them. They might ask why that is and (in my case) an angry parent will tell them exactly why this has happened. Labour budget and Angela Rayners tinkering with employment rights. As that is why it has happened. They don't live in a bubble. Some might live on a farm, go to private school, want a part time.job, have a parent who works in the private sector, a grandparent who depends on the winter fuel allowance, live next to a migrant hotel. Etc etc.

I still don't think that a 16 year old should vote myself. But I can see that Labour may not have this sewn up.

We're supposed to be more enlightened these days though.

Making people have more and more adult responsibility younger and younger is not "enlightened" though.

I agree with @Quirksworkthey will likely be aware it’s harder to get a job, casual or graduate. And look for politicians who could deal with that. If they want to vote that is.

That's your opinion. Other people disagree.

I joined the Labour Party at 15 - loved the LPYS !

Being Liverpool adjacent we where anti Milli - we where Socialist Organiser leaning 😃

What is "enlightened" about it? How do you define enlightened?

Women getting the vote is. Gay marriage is. Children voting isn't.

Yes. Every generation is the most enlightened ever.

Generally the music was always better ...

@Quirkswork I disagree with 16 year olds voting too. They might notice fewer P/t jobs but lots of parents fix such things for dc. I’m just not sure dc notice unless they come from a political family.,

The real question for anyone who disagrees with this policy, is what are they going to do about it ?

For all the faux hand wringing, no party has made it a policy that they will reverse this change (which would need a vote in parliament, like Article 50).

I am guessing that enough people are either supportive or at most ambivalent, and they will outweigh the naysayers. Meaning it's repeal* unlikely to form a serious policy pledge from any party.

*Chickens, eggs, cup, lip, I know .....

Yet at 16/17 they are expected to be able to make these decisions on careers, loans etc etc

Their ill informed parents get to vote butt it sounds like you want a test to be taken so anyone who is allowed to vote has your masterful levels of knowledge?

I made no opinion on tuition fees, other than young people are making these decisions.
But of you want to go down that route, most European countries have similar levels of Uni participation but do not have any tuition fees or very low ones....

Can you buy a lottery ticket? Hold a tenancy? Buy cigarettes?

Political literacy isn't prevelent within all of the electorate that turn out. It varies vastly across the population, including young adults. There are people who voted in the last GE who quite literally will have just rocked up to a polling station and marked X next to a politician and party they know nothing about.

Whilst it does feel like there is some gerrymandering happening, it also was in Labours manifesto and I can't understand how this can be portrayed as something wholly negative. It's good for those that are polically literate and at worst, increases the amount of voting in ignorance. Which isn't something that will be resolved by getting older

I didn't say the voting age should be 25. I said that everything should be set at 18. The point I was making is that 25, we now know, is when the brain reaches maturity. It nuts having lots of different age limits set for lots of different things imo. Just saying