Bill to allow 16 year olds to vote to be debated in parliament

No I agree, but quite a few of the posts on here have been along those lines, ' they will be better than the bigots or those who voted us out of the EU', personally I think that is deeply patronising towards young people.

Galaxy

I am not inconsistent, I have always said Shamima Begum was groomed.

I wasn’t talking about you specifically but about how the views on Shamima were expressed forcefully and still are by very many -and I bet a Venn diagram with negative views on her and on 16-17 year olds having the vote is pretty predictable .

Basically the brain development argument is dead in the water isn’t it? The arguments for and against 16-17 year olds and the vote have to be conceptualised differently.

Er no it isn't dead in the water just because you think it is. I think it is a reasonable argument just as there are other reasonable arguments in favour.

16?? Madness. They are schoolchildren, for heaven's sake. As others have said, the voting age should go back up to 21. Of c ourse they are going to vote for whichever party seems to make their own life better and not for the good of the nation, because they don't have the experience.

Galaxy

Er no it isn't dead in the water just because you think it is. I think it is a reasonable argument just as there are other reasonable arguments in favour.

I meant dead in the water in as much no politician will advance this argument as a reason not to give votes to 16-17 year old. Far too many cans of worms would be opened

dalrymple23

16?? Madness. They are schoolchildren, for heaven's sake. As others have said, the voting age should go back up to 21. Of c ourse they are going to vote for whichever party seems to make their own life better and not for the good of the nation, because they don't have the experience.

You honestly think that all voters vote for the good of the nation?

Oh well yes, safeguarding children is incredibly complex and in my view very few politicians demonstrate the ability to legislate with that in mind.

I second that 👍🏻Dizzyribs

There is a difference between the way most children (those under 18!) are viewed in criminal proceedings which is why they don't get such long sentences and are tried in a totally different court (usually), serve their sentences in different places until they are 25. Politicians may not wish to open that can of worms but that doesn't mean that the science shouldn't count.
Of course there are exceptions in children who are ready to make voting decisions as there are people who really shouldn't but in general, the tools aren't in place for too many 16 year olds, IMHO.

I agree with Grannygravy. One age for everything. I believe that age should be 18. It is nonsense to give 16 year old children the vote who have no life experience at all and no responsibilities beyond their homework.

2507C0

I agree with Grannygravy. One age for everything. I believe that age should be 18. It is nonsense to give 16 year old children the vote who have no life experience at all and no responsibilities beyond their homework.

You really believe that? My god, there are some young people who would give anything just to have homework to worry about

Maybe so, in some cases, but we’re talking about giving 16 year olds the vote here.
It hasn’t happened and hopefully won’t happen, tho we saw the SNP in Scotland allowing it quite cynically to get kids to vote for them…hope Labour aren’t following suit.

I’d think 21,too. A lot of 16 year olds are very immature and so are a lot of 21 year olds but at least by 21 they have left school and are not under the influence of teachers. They just might have a little more experience of the world. It may backfire, a lot of the 16 year olds I have come across have extreme views and not necessarily ‘left’. Your Raving Lunatic party might do very well.

It should be raised to 60.

I assume that you’re joking?

dalrymple23

16?? Madness. They are schoolchildren, for heaven's sake. As others have said, the voting age should go back up to 21. Of c ourse they are going to vote for whichever party seems to make their own life better and not for the good of the nation, because they don't have the experience.

I know far too many adults who only vote to make their own lives better and not the good of the whole. I think that’s a pretty ridiculous argument quite honestly.

nanna8

I’d think 21,too. A lot of 16 year olds are very immature and so are a lot of 21 year olds but at least by 21 they have left school and are not under the influence of teachers. They just might have a little more experience of the world. It may backfire, a lot of the 16 year olds I have come across have extreme views and not necessarily ‘left’. Your Raving Lunatic party might do very well.

This is at least the second comment talking about being under the control or under the influence of teachers. What do you have against teachers?

nanna8

I’d think 21,too. A lot of 16 year olds are very immature and so are a lot of 21 year olds but at least by 21 they have left school and are not under the influence of teachers. They just might have a little more experience of the world. It may backfire, a lot of the 16 year olds I have come across have extreme views and not necessarily ‘left’. Your Raving Lunatic party might do very well.

Sir Oink A Lot may do well in Gorton and Denton for the RL Party * Nanna8* 😂

My mum is 85 and is demented. She is allowed to vote. She doesn’t know what day it is.
Our son and daughter very much knew their minds when they were 16 🤷‍♀️

Oreo

Maybe so, in some cases, but we’re talking about giving 16 year olds the vote here.
It hasn’t happened and hopefully won’t happen, tho we saw the SNP in Scotland allowing it quite cynically to get kids to vote for them…hope Labour aren’t following suit.

It’s going to happen. We’re not in U turn territory - the backbenchers will support it and there’s no coherent organised opposition to it amongst the general public. The Tories will whinge but they support votes at 16 for their party leader so look a bit silly

There are plenty of immature adults with mental ages of less than 16 who are already voting!

What difference will a few more make?

keepingquiet

There are plenty of immature adults with mental ages of less than 16 who are already voting!

What difference will a few more make?

I think that 16 year olds who take the time and trouble to vote probably have an opinion worth listening to.
My 85 year old mother has dementia. She is entitled to vote. It’s a lottery.

Adding a demographic to the electorate that represents just 3% of the total isn’t going to have a huge effect, as I posted upthread.

Take into account:

• Many in that 3% demographic will not be able to vote as their citizenship will not qualify them to do so and

* Many won’t bother to vote. Turnout in the GE 2024 was less than 60%. It hasn’t broken 70% since 1997.

Considering full term general elections only take place once every five years and council elections once every four years (when not postponed for reorganisation), reducing the voting age by two years isn’t going to make much difference to outcomes.

I am 70 now. I have had the vote since I was 18 in 1973. The Representation of the People Act 1969 reduced the voting age to 18. The first GE I voted in was in 1974. For 46 of those 52 years I have not been represented in Westminster by an MP I voted for. It’s frustrating but that’s what passes for democracy - where a government can win a massive majority on just 34% of the vote. Our antiquated FPTP system is unfair.

That’s what we should be more exercised about - Proportional Representation - not this.

I don’t suppose your Mum with dementia does vote tho Basgetti
As for not in U turn territory tuliptree well that will make a change🤣