7 hours agoUK to Lower Voter Age to 16
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)The United Kingdom government has confirmed that the age of voting will drop to 16 for the upcoming general elections, in line with the promise made by the Labusist Party in its election manifesto last year. This reform represents one of the biggest changes in the British election system since [...]
This reform represents one of the biggest changes in the British election system since 1969, when the age of voting decreased from 21 to 18.
According to the government, about 1.5 million young people -- 16 and 17-year-old -- will gain the right to vote in national elections. This decision follows the example of Scotland and Wales, where young people have voting rights in local elections and those of respective parliaments.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said 16 and 17-year-olds are old enough to get to work and pay their taxes.
I think it's very important that 16 and 17-year-olds have voting rights, because they're old enough to get to work, they're old enough to pay taxes, so pay. And I think if you pay, you should have the opportunity to say what you want to spend your money on, in which direction the government should act”, Starmer said.
Democracy Minister Rushanara Ali also stressed the importance of getting young people involved in political life:
“At age 16, a young man can work, pay taxes, join the military. Thus, there is no reason why from that age, they have no right to say who governs our country. ”
She confirmed that the change would be part of a new Election Bill that includes other measures such as expanding voter identification forms (including bank cards issued in the UK), moving towards automatic voter registration, and tightening rules for political donations to protect from foreign interventions.
The opposition has voiced scepticism about the decision. The Conservative Party has demanded parliamentary review “of the plan, while Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform UK was against reducing voter age.
I don't support reducing voting age to 16, even though we get many votes. Someone should not be able to vote in the election if he is unable to run”, Farage said.
Currently, the minimum age to run in elections in the United Kingdom is 18.
The bill is expected to be finalised by 2029, but the government does not rule out the possibility of it entering into force earlier on.. /Periscopi/
