https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c93kkg37n3kt

Voting age to be lowered to 16 by next general election

published at 10:52

Breaking

Around 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to vote at the next general election, under government plans to lower the voting age.

Democracy Minister Rushanara Ali tells the BBC the "seismic" change will ensure young people's voices are heard.

She confirms the pledge will be part of a raft of measures introduced through a new Elections Bill.

We'll bring you live updates, analysis and reaction, so stay with us.

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What effect do you think this will have on Northern Ireland's political landscape?

by stevenmc

38 comments

  2. This will probably be felt most strongly in northern Ireland. It speeds up the demographic transition by 2 years straight away and when you factor in that most 16/17yr olds live at home where their parents will register them to vote and bring them to the polling station for the first time it will probably increase voter turnout among the 18-25s by the following election.

  5. I think the only way labour could deal with alienating so many of its voters was to create new ones 🤷‍♂️

  6. It will be interesting to see what the next poll on reunification looks like

  7. It would have been great to have it in before the next assembly election tbh. Although I still think the next one could potentially still be momentous, if 16-17s were able to vote it would have guaranteed it.

  9. It’s a proposal, not even a bill yet and years away from being law.

  10. Will they vote though. How many 18-21 year olds are not even on the electoral register.

  11. Don’t let us down 16-17 year olds. Get out and vote. Time to wipe the bigots out!

  12. Makes sense. Policies in that general election are very likely to affect them. I think there’s an argument for lowering it even further.

  13. Here in Scotland we give youths the benefit of the doubt in criminal cases because they aren’t fully developed until 21 and ‘cannot understand the full consequences of their actions’. Yet they want to give them a vote?
    It’s an inherent contradiction.

  15. Labour are idiots. If they’d done this last time they were in power they’d have got back in a lot sooner. They choose to do this right at the moment the first really right wing generation in decades comes along.

  16. Really don’t see many going out to vote after the first election with these rules in place

  17. Absolutely mad move, what 16 year old has any clue about the world and politics? Before you answer, think about yourself at 16 and now…stupidest Labour policy yet and there’s been a few.

  20. Well, if it’s old enough to pay tax, get married or join the army, it’s old enough to vote.

  22. >Democaracy minister

    >Rushanara Ali

    🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

  24. 16 year olds can’t be trusted to vote, speaking from experience. UwU

  25. Can’t drink alcohol,get driving license but can vote.I wonder why you are mature enough for one thing not the others.

  26. I think the 16-18 year olds who are politically engaged will vote and the others will not. This will help fringe parties. If a party promotes a cause like free Palestine id say the young ones will make a point of voting. They might make a stupid choice but that’s the same as the rest of us. Might make young people want to get into politics too. I’m for it.

  27. So they are going to let children vote on very important issues

  28. Bad idea. Children are not clued in enough to understand what they are voting for. A tic tok trend will sway elections.
    Democracy does not work because the majority of people are below average intelligence. Popularity does not mean good, just look at the pop music charts ffs.

  29. I read the Wealth of Nations at 14, Communist Manifesto at 15 and most of what Orwell had written by 16. Switched on, engaged people were, invariably, switched on engaged young people.

  31. This will help left wing parties, in general younger people vote left but vote more right as they get older

  32. So they’ve pissed off all the people here already that can vote so they’re extending it to try and tap another group to try and hang onto power. Anyone who thinks this is because labour actually care needs to give their head a wobble. He’s the most hated PM in history and he’s getting desperate.

  33. Its thought this move will bring forward Unification by two years! ..

  35. Westminster wants it so that the way it is, no point gurning. Anyway Wales and the Scots already have it.

  36. More uninformed voters is just what we need! This time with zero life experience!

  37. Or great. So now we have boomers who are too stupid to spot a grift and kids who are too stupid to spot a grift in the mix.

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