16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in next general election

[Nearly Sane]

Well it is what they said they would do

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

[Steve H]

Don't think it's a good idea: the lower the voting age, the more people not mature enough to vote sensibly will get the vote. I thought the same about lowering the age to 18, back in 1969, even though I benefitted: the voting age passed me going in the opposite direction, and I got the vote aged 18 and six months, in time to vote Labour in the 1970 general election ( they lost locally as well as nationally).

[Nearly Sane]

Don't think it's a good idea: the lower the voting age, the more people not mature enough to vote sensibly will get the vote. I thought the same about lowering the age to 18, back in 1969, even though I benefitted: the voting age passed me going in the opposite direction, and I got the vote aged 18 and six months, in time to vote Labour in the 1970 general election ( they lost locally as well as nationally).

having the same age for driving, drinking and voting makes sense to me but I can see why a more fluid age on voting makes sense in terms of encouraging participation. I haven't felt that the wider franchise in the Scottish elections has made that much difference.

[Sebastian Toe]

No taxation without representation.

I'm all for it.

[Aruntraveller]

I'm for it. For every dumb teenager you can find, I can find two elderly people who are equally stupid.

[jeremyp]

I'm for it. For every dumb teenager you can find, I can find two elderly people who are equally stupid.

So you want to increase the number of dumb voters by 50%?

I think it's a terrible idea.

[Gordon]

I wonder, in a GE context, as opposed to Holyrood elections here, if this will hit the Tories most in that, iirc, the general view is that younger votes are less likely to be Tory voters. Of course, I may be wrong.

[Nearly Sane]

The seats where in theory the new votes could swing the seat.


https://www.msn.com/en-gb/politics/elections/constituencies-mapped-where-voting-for-16-and-17-year-olds-could-swing-vote/ar-AA1IMC5P

[Nearly Sane]

And Corbyn the most popular politician for the 16 and 17 year olds


https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/jeremy-corbyn-is-most-popular-politician-among-16-and-17-year-olds-395699/

[Nearly Sane]

.

[Steve H]

.

Beside the point. Of course there are stupid people at all ags, but the lower the voting age is, the mor e stupid (or rather, immature) voters there will be.

[Nearly Sane]

Beside the point. Of course there are stupid people at all ags, but the lower the voting age is, the mor e stupid (or rather, immature) voters there will be.

It was a joke, not an argument.

[Nearly Sane]

Elsewhere i saw it raised that the age you can get married in England and Wales was raised to 18 a couple of years ago. It's an odd difference if we then lower the voting age. Note in Scotland the marriage age is 16.

[jeremyp]

Beside the point. Of course there are stupid people at all ags, but the lower the voting age is, the mor e stupid (or rather, immature) voters there will be.

I doubt if sixteen year olds are any more or less stupid than the general population. The problem is that they are almost certainly less well informed and more ignorant of the issues and less experienced at life in general.

[Nearly Sane]

I doubt if sixteen year olds are any more or less stupid than the general population. The problem is that they are almost certainly less well informed and more ignorant of the issues and less experienced at life in general.

Much more than 18 year olds? All of these things where we draw an arbitrary age line are about when we think it is reasonable for people to be given the responsibility even if we think that they may 'improve' with age. With voting there's an argument that if we get people involved younger it may improve their participation, and for they extra 2 years of their possible involvement, it has less specific impact than drinking, or driving. As Steve has noted, he felt the same about the reduction in voting age to 18 but I doubt any of us would seriously argue to put ot back to 21?