Read more: Was 8th June the revenge of the millennials?
It is easy to look back on the last two years in politics and feel a sense of despair. A divisive EU referendum followed by a bitter general election, and now the ongoing chaos surrounding the government as it attempts to manage the Brexit process.
In the midst of these most trying times there are reasons to find hope, too. Not least the rise in young people’s interest in politics. June’s general election saw us turn a corner after two decades of disproportionately low turnout among young voters. 64 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds headed to the polls to have their say in Britain’s future. It was the highest youth turnout in 25 years.
This was an election which the Conservatives attempted to frame entirely around the EU referendum and there is a subtle irony in the fact that June’s vote mobilised a swathe of voters whose voices were lost as the results of the EU referendum trickled in and the reality of Brexit broke.
A staggering 75 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds who voted last year chose “Remain,” overridden by the older generations who voted “Leave”—including 61 per cent of 65+ year-olds. 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds never had the chance to make their voices heard, after my amendment to give them the vote in the referendum was rejected by parliament. This despite the fact they will be the ones to carry the potentially dire consequences.
I have little doubt it was the stark Brexit reality, and the sense of intergenerational injustice, which drove some young people to polling stations during the snap general election. Young people’s passion for politics has been re-lit, and I believe that now is the time to extend the franchise and give them more of a say. On Friday, a Private Members Bill by Jim McMahon to reduce the voting age to 16 will be debated in the House of Commons—following hard on the heels of a widely supported Early Day Motion I tabled on the subject earlier this year. I’ll be in the chamber lending the support from my own party.
While other countries make progress towards fairer voting systems the British government is holding us firmly in the past. Scotland has already lowered the voting age to 16 and made history when 100,000 16 and 17-year-olds cast their ballots in the independence referendum. Wales could follow if the Welsh Assembly takes advantage of powers under the Wales Act 2017 to lower the voting age, and across the world countries from Argentina to Austria are already giving their young people a say at the ballot box.
In Britain today 16-year-olds are able to get married, become a company director, pay income tax and join the armed forces. On top of this, our 16 and 17-year-olds are part of the first generation to receive citizenship education meaning they are as knowledgeable and competent as other young adults. Denying them the right to choose who runs the country they will inherit not only defies logic, it stops them from fulfilling their potential and playing a full part in society.
As Jim McMahon says, “the time has come”—and I hope that the government notes the urgency of this issue and gives 16 and 17 year olds the say in our politics that they deserve. Such a move wouldn't just benefit the young, it would restore the sense of hope that our politics desperately needs—and go some way in building Britain's reputation as a nation that truly values democracy.
It is easy to look back on the last two years in politics and feel a sense of despair. A divisive EU referendum followed by a bitter general election, and now the ongoing chaos surrounding the government as it attempts to manage the Brexit process.
In the midst of these most trying times there are reasons to find hope, too. Not least the rise in young people’s interest in politics. June’s general election saw us turn a corner after two decades of disproportionately low turnout among young voters. 64 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds headed to the polls to have their say in Britain’s future. It was the highest youth turnout in 25 years.
This was an election which the Conservatives attempted to frame entirely around the EU referendum and there is a subtle irony in the fact that June’s vote mobilised a swathe of voters whose voices were lost as the results of the EU referendum trickled in and the reality of Brexit broke.
A staggering 75 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds who voted last year chose “Remain,” overridden by the older generations who voted “Leave”—including 61 per cent of 65+ year-olds. 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds never had the chance to make their voices heard, after my amendment to give them the vote in the referendum was rejected by parliament. This despite the fact they will be the ones to carry the potentially dire consequences.
I have little doubt it was the stark Brexit reality, and the sense of intergenerational injustice, which drove some young people to polling stations during the snap general election. Young people’s passion for politics has been re-lit, and I believe that now is the time to extend the franchise and give them more of a say. On Friday, a Private Members Bill by Jim McMahon to reduce the voting age to 16 will be debated in the House of Commons—following hard on the heels of a widely supported Early Day Motion I tabled on the subject earlier this year. I’ll be in the chamber lending the support from my own party.
While other countries make progress towards fairer voting systems the British government is holding us firmly in the past. Scotland has already lowered the voting age to 16 and made history when 100,000 16 and 17-year-olds cast their ballots in the independence referendum. Wales could follow if the Welsh Assembly takes advantage of powers under the Wales Act 2017 to lower the voting age, and across the world countries from Argentina to Austria are already giving their young people a say at the ballot box.
In Britain today 16-year-olds are able to get married, become a company director, pay income tax and join the armed forces. On top of this, our 16 and 17-year-olds are part of the first generation to receive citizenship education meaning they are as knowledgeable and competent as other young adults. Denying them the right to choose who runs the country they will inherit not only defies logic, it stops them from fulfilling their potential and playing a full part in society.
As Jim McMahon says, “the time has come”—and I hope that the government notes the urgency of this issue and gives 16 and 17 year olds the say in our politics that they deserve. Such a move wouldn't just benefit the young, it would restore the sense of hope that our politics desperately needs—and go some way in building Britain's reputation as a nation that truly values democracy.
