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.

It is nothing to do with whether or not they had it in their manifesto, all governments are happy to ignore such promises when it suits them because nothing compels them legally to follow through on their promises.

But people do vote on manifestos... And if this government broke a manifesto promise, you'd be all over them so they can't win. Besides, bet you anything that you didn't vote for them in the first place.

And perhaps they did think they would get an electoral advantage out of this - but analysis has shown that the cohort involved is so small that it is not likely to have any serious influence so really, we have nothing to worry about.

You won't, because that isn't going to happen. You haven't addressed the issue that it was the previous government that did the gerrymandering, not this one. Gerrymandering is about disenfranchising people (by implementing inequitable voter ID requirements, redrawing districts to favour one party over another - you know, things the right has done in very recent history), not about expanding the franchise.

I'm sure there were people back in 1917 who were outraged and claimed giving women the vote was gerrymandering too.

So what exactly do you predict they will teach on critical race theory, Marxism, socialism, mass immigration, education tax, equality of outcome?

And are private schools safe from indoctrination?

LOL, yes of course allowing children and dead people to vote is all about voter participation isn’t it? Do you honestly believe that?

Do you honestly think dead people will be allowed to vote? I honestly think you're catastrophising.

For some reason I remembered a film ...

There’s a classic scene in the 1985 film "Real Genius" where students leave tape recorders in a lecture hall to capture the professor’s talk - only for the professor to walk in and drop his own tape recorder on the podium. No humans. Just machines “learning” from machines

Trump was going on about 'dead people voting', he also claims he won in 2020

I was imagining more something like the 'Demon Headmaster'

Yet Austria, which has allowed voting for 16/17yo's since 2007, has a hard right Govt....

Zero evidence for your belief but it does go to show what you think of the UK's young people.... believe it or not, they can see through BS, from either side.

I’d imagine they will teach them as proven ideologies rather than failed ideologies.

Independent schools are independent of the Government, safer I’d say …..if it’s one term anyway.

Give it up, it’s blatant what Labour are doing.

Adults where I live are generally politically illiterate. They can repeat talking points but are generally unable to reflect on or research anything in depth. The racism is astonishing for a community where few people will be regularly interacting with anybody who has even a slightly different background from themselves.
Honestly, the 16 and 17 year olds are likely to be making voting decisions that are at least as informed as the adults.

I think as long as they vote for the ‘right people’ Labour would let anyone vote.

Tell me, do you think Trump won the 2020 election? I need a benchmark to work out whether or not you're worth conversing with.

Nope.... if you re going to make allegations, then back them up, otherwise its just hot air.

Plus, if its as you say, why haven't opposition parties say they'll reverse it?

It’s a fact he lost. Do you think education tax is beneficial to a country, property is theft, men can give birth to children, there are more than 2 genders and mass immigration has enriched the U.K.

It’s totally obvious, what are you taking about?

Tax on private education (you keep neglecting to mention this stuff, so this is me reminding you that this only applies to 7% of UK school age children) - the jury is out. The exodus from private to state hasn't happened though. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/10/no-exodus-to-state-sector-after-vat-added-to-private-school-fees-say-english-councils

(Yes, I know it's the Guardian. But you can look up the data for yourself if you're worried.)

Labour has said nothing about property being theft. That was Marx.

Gender does not equal biological sex - it's a social construct. There are many societies around the world where there are indeed more than two genders. There are not more than two sexes though. You're looking at gender through a Eurocentric lens - maybe read up on some anthropology.

The data on what immigrants contribute is also out there. I'm an immigrant, by the way, so be a bit careful what you say.

They think 'education tax' will raise about 1.5 billion this year which is far more then the cost of educating the few children who have left private and started at state schools instead. So in monetary terms, it is definitely beneficial. I also think it is societally too. A more integrated population is a good thing in my opinion.

You’ve failed on all I’m afraid.

I'm an immigrant, by the way, so be a bit careful what you say.

No.

You can say that, but you'll have to evidence it. Your opinion is just that - and you know what they say about opinions.

By the way, 'living your truth' does not mean 'it's OK to ignore reality'. You may wish to remember that.

Nobody has said it will raise 1.5 billion this year.

Thanks 🙄

'It is estimated that extending VAT to private school fees will raise £460 million in 2024/25, rising to £1.51 billion in 2025/26. '

They could be wrong but they have said it.

VAT on private school fees - House of Commons Library

It’s amazing they’ve published that, it’s on course to just about break even this year.