Starmer wants to drop voting age to 16

Ingleby_Flash said:
I’ve said all my life that if you can work, pay tax, be married, have kids, join the army then hell yes you should have some say in the government. I was politically aware at 16 and hold mostly the same, though slightly less radical, political views now.

The question shouldn’t be whether we should give them a vote, but why are we withholding it.
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You are so politically aware that you obviously knew that legislation was passed raising the minimum age for marriage to 18?
 
Anyone suggesting this is just a gimmick along the same lines as Sunak's National Service plan couldn't be more wrong.

The idea was included in last years' National Policy Forum proposals. In 2019 it was a Labour Party manifesto pledge. Before that Jim McMahon introduced a Private Members Bill which was supported by the PLP, the LibDems and the Greens.
 
BoroMart said:
Particularly as it was the pensioner vote that swung it for Brexit yet they’re all dying off and won’t have a significant impact from Brexit, but those 16 year old are lumbered for years with a decision from a demographic that isn’t going to
Be alive to suffer the consequences
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...as 16 year old William Hague once said?
 
TheYorkshireTerrier said:
There are 60+ year olds who still don’t really understand politics.
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though by 60 you'll have far more life experiences & - should - be able to at least vote with a clue as to why you're doing it

At 16 & esp with social media their world view can be influenced greatly..

Many of all ages are influenced by headline & few will delve too much past the soundbite, if at all..
 
BoroMart said:
Correct and they’ve had the vote for all those years. I’ve always had far more reservations about the pensioner vote than the 16-18s.
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I don't - many i've talked to, after you get past the 'they are all liars & as bad as each other' view of politicians - want a better world for their grand kids than anything for themselves..

15-17 = 2m ( seems to be about 1m per year )
80+ = 4m
 
BobUpnDown said:
though by 60 you'll have far more life experiences & - should - be able to at least vote with a clue as to why you're doing it

At 16 & esp with social media their world view can be influenced greatly..

Many of all ages are influenced by headline & few will delve too much past the soundbite, if at all..
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Sorry but many life experiences can also be negative and set prejudices. It is isn’t a linear path from zero political awareness to enlightenment until you die. To be entirely honest about it health issues can also be problematic as dementia etc can set in
 
I think old people have every right to vote in a general election, there's one guaranteed every 5 years ... Brexit on the other hand, I really do think there were circumstances to consider, certainly adding in the 16+ year olds, not necessarily blocking anyone per se ... But there is a real serious issue about who an outcome like that is going to affect the most.
 
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BobUpnDown said:
though by 60 you'll have far more life experiences & - should - be able to at least vote with a clue as to why you're doing it

At 16 & esp with social media their world view can be influenced greatly..

Many of all ages are influenced by headline & few will delve too much past the soundbite, if at all..
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Has traditional media not been influencing people greatly for the last 60 years?

Appreciate that’s what you might be getting at with your last line - just don’t think social media can be blamed.
 
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That chart
BobUpnDown said:
:-D you can certainly see why Labour would reduce the age - I was aware of the trope that 'the older you get the more conservative you become' though fek I didn't think it was THAT marked.. ( & who the hell is voting for Reform?? - hopefully split the Tory vote further )
View attachment 76799
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really disproves the theory postulated earlier in this thread that old people want to leave a better world for their kids….0% Green Party!
 
TheYorkshireTerrier said:
Has traditional media not been influencing people greatly for the last 60 years?

Appreciate that’s what you might be getting at with your last line - just don’t think social media can be blamed.
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And media influence doesn’t necessarily give you a more enlightened and knowledgeable view, it certainly gives you one influenced by actors with a stake in your vote
 
I'm not a huge fan of 16 year olds voting, but I don't think there's any fair way of justifying restricting them from voting when they're treated like adults for many other things.

I'd either lower the age of everything to 16, or raise it all to 18.
But if you've got the current hodge podge age restrictions, it's not fair to prevent them voting.
 
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