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Lowering the voting age

Peter

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c628ep4j5kno

So the labour party apparently believes that 16 and 17-year-olds are old enough to vote. But not old enough to:

  • Leave school
  • Hold down a full-time job
  • Buy a plastic knife
  • Play the lottery
  • Buy alcohol
  • Smoke
  • Sue someone in court without permission
  • Get married (in England and Wales)
  • Watch porn
  • Make porn
  • Go to war
  • Stand for parliament

Now in my mind voting is one of the most adult things you can do. You are taking responsibility for the running of the country (indirectly). So my question, and it is a serious question for debate, if 16 and 17-year-olds can be expected to vote what other adult things could they reasonably expect to do.

For the record I personally am in favour of reducing the voting age but I do think it produces important inconsistencies that should probably be addressed. At the very least you should be able to stand in the elections you are voting for. If a 16-year-old can vote for an MP they should be allowed to be an MP.

Parents

  • One of the most senior people who is publicly backing the change seemingly based her opinion, in part, on the fact that 16 and 17 year olds in England can get married.

    Except that they can’t. 

    Before quietly being corrected, Angela Rayner’s op-ed in The Times initially claimed:

    “By law, they can get married and serve our country in the armed forces — but, unlike their peers in Scotland and Wales, 16-year-olds in England and Northern Ireland can’t vote. Why not?”

    It’s worrying that the Deputy Prime Minister - who’s also the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party - has based her opinion on such ignorance.

Reply

  • One of the most senior people who is publicly backing the change seemingly based her opinion, in part, on the fact that 16 and 17 year olds in England can get married.

    Except that they can’t. 

    Before quietly being corrected, Angela Rayner’s op-ed in The Times initially claimed:

    “By law, they can get married and serve our country in the armed forces — but, unlike their peers in Scotland and Wales, 16-year-olds in England and Northern Ireland can’t vote. Why not?”

    It’s worrying that the Deputy Prime Minister - who’s also the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party - has based her opinion on such ignorance.

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