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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

  • I think the most important one is that you can pay tax, but not vote for the government that will collect and spend your taxes.

    I think it's an important step in bringing more political awareness to a younger generation, who to my mind, have been infantalised and are kept in a semi childlike status for much to long and I don't think it does them any good.

    We've had voting at 16 for Senedd and local elections here for years, I can't see that it makes that much difference honestly. Some people don't vote anyway regardless of thier age, I didn't vote in the last GE, because there was no one who I could bring myself to vote for and I'm sick of voting fo the least bad.

    I remember being a few months short of my 18th birthday in 1979, I was really fed up that I wouldn't be able to vote for a government until I was nearly 22.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    I would politely disagree - if younger people are infantalised, I don't think they are able to make good decisions on who to vote for. I first voted when I was 18 - that was back in the 70s when we had to grow up quicker and most went to work at 16 - and to be honest I didn't really have much of a clue about politics or who to vote for.

    I understand your idea about being able to vote if you pay taxes, but most young people stay in education until they're at least 18 now, and although they may have a part time job they probably don't earn enough to pay tax, or if so it's very little. Under 18s are not able to open a bank account without a parent or guardian, have a credit card, access trust funds or work in a sales role, so they are not deemed to be able to make sound financial decisions; therefore I don't feel they have the maturity to make a decision about which party will be the best at looking after the country's finances.

    I am not prejudiced against younger people, I enjoy chatting with younger members of this forum and many are very intelligent and have good ideas. I just agree with the data that Bunny posted, which is similar to my own life experiences, and I respect that your experience may be different.

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  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    I would politely disagree - if younger people are infantalised, I don't think they are able to make good decisions on who to vote for. I first voted when I was 18 - that was back in the 70s when we had to grow up quicker and most went to work at 16 - and to be honest I didn't really have much of a clue about politics or who to vote for.

    I understand your idea about being able to vote if you pay taxes, but most young people stay in education until they're at least 18 now, and although they may have a part time job they probably don't earn enough to pay tax, or if so it's very little. Under 18s are not able to open a bank account without a parent or guardian, have a credit card, access trust funds or work in a sales role, so they are not deemed to be able to make sound financial decisions; therefore I don't feel they have the maturity to make a decision about which party will be the best at looking after the country's finances.

    I am not prejudiced against younger people, I enjoy chatting with younger members of this forum and many are very intelligent and have good ideas. I just agree with the data that Bunny posted, which is similar to my own life experiences, and I respect that your experience may be different.

Children
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