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.

We shall see when Labour start offering gimmicks that appeal to children whilst doing nothing about mass immigration. I‘m not looking down on children with contempt, I’m looking down at a political party that cynically wants children to vote as to help it remain in power,

Teenagers being 'raging antisemites' is more of a safeguarding issue

So 16-17 year olds will have the power to both keep Labour in power and destroy it?

Was it in their manifesto?

Yes along with the education tax. Couldn’t possibly be a link there could there? I await the mandatory ‘indoctrination equality of outcome’ training in state schools.

There's zero evidence that giving 16 and 17 year olds the vote will have any major influences on elections - the analysis is there if you want to look for it. From your stance on immigration, I take it you are right leaning and for some reason terrified that young voters will lean hard left. The evidence that this will happen is slim - it has been pointed out on this thread that a substantial proportion of this cohort lean right.

Giving 16 and 17 year olds the vote was in the manifesto, on which Labour was elected. That's democracy for you.

You've got to love the consistency, don't you? The logic of the terrified...

Education tax that doesn't apply to the majority of education.

Even 16-17 year olds can work that one out.

Think about it: limit education options for children, give children a vote in 4 years, introduce mandatory ‘politics’ for children

That strong language - ‘terrified’

Labour probably think it will advantage them but in desperation they might have got it wrong.

I think they may well have got it wrong, but the language used by some of the antis is at least as strong as mine. Describing 16 and 17 year olds as 'children' without acknowledging it isn't that simple, going on about allowing the vote is a safeguarding issue - it's ridiculous. Look this was in the manifesto. It's going to happen. Let's just see what pans out.

You make it sound as if a majority of children in the UK are affected by the change re VAT on private education. I trust you know full well that this is not the case? Except where SEN are involved, private education is a luxury. Why shouldn't luxuries be taxed?

What do you mean with mandatory 'politics'?

There's not much difference between 16 and 18. A 16 yo is going to be an adult for at least half of any term they vote on, so they should have a say.

I think this has been done to death. You are asking me why education shouldn’t be taxed? there’s no way I can explain that to someone who asks the question in the first place, in a way they’d understand anyway.

I know it’s going to happen, I haven’t posted otherwise. Not sure what’s wrong with 16 / 17 as child though, they are in that category.

No, but there is a big difference between 14 and 18 which is adulthood. A 14 yo is not like an adult, a 16 yo is, which is why a 16 yo can already do a lot of adult things. Many 16 yos already have jobs and pay taxes too- 14 yos can only work under very limited circumstances.

My guess is a tighter control over state schools leading up to the election and the introduction of some sort of left wing indoctrination dressed up as politics classes.

Could be wrong, time will tell.

How would they do that?

Madness to legalise cannabis given the strength of it these days. It's not like in the olden days.

Abolish any alternative education provision for a start. Like private schools.

Nobody is abolishing anything

How are state schools indoctrinating their students with left wing ideas?

It is state schools we are discussing, is it not?

That is just nonsense scaremongering.
Education in how our political system works would be a positive step. I am always amazed by how many adults have no idea about our system. Many don't know the difference between the Local Authority and the National Government or about how decisions and laws are made. Or even which constituency or ward they live in.
Also if you are suggesting that the Government will somehow brainwash 16 and 17 year olds to vote for them that will never happen
But even, just for the sake of argument they did. It would make no difference to a result. Only 2.8% of the population are aged 16 and 17 year olds they make up a tiny proportion of the UK voting population and will have minimal impact on an election.

You're being disingenuous. It's only private education, which is a luxury, which is being taxed. Don't want to pay the tax? Go state. It's there, not taxed, free to everyone.