What is the Age Of Voting Consent In Britain?

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I remember well being 16 years old. I went out and partied, got drunk, bedded any female with a pulse who was daft enough to let me, played football in the full belief I was the best player in the world if professional teams could only but realise.

westminster dusk

I hero worshipped David Bowie because his music was cool – it just had to be as my parents hated everything about him. I hero worshipped Che Guevara purely because the poster in my bedroom was extremely cool. I knew nothing about him other than in my opinion, as written on my school books he ‘still lived in spirit’.

At 17 I don’t think I was very different to how I was at 16. I’d become politically aware at least in terms of I hated politicians – I haven’t changed much eh? 🙂 – because they were so uncool – actually, back then ‘cool’ and ‘uncool’ weren’t the vernacular used. Well, not in Oldham in Lancashire anyway. I can’t really remember the terminology back then sadly.

Boring old farts probably or something like that.

Politicians were old and stupid and boring and, well, not unlike my parents really. Of course my grandparents were even older but they were ‘cool’ or whatever it was we used back then.

I knew everything and my parents and their generation knew absolutely nothing what so ever about anything other than things that didn’t matter. They clearly didn’t matter – what ever they were – because they didn’t matter to me and, being young I was obviously far cooler and wise than my parents.

The ‘age of consent’ had reduced from 21 years old to 18 years old for most things but you could get married, have children and hold down a job from 16. Technically, as far as the getting married and having kids was concerned, you needed parental consent but, let’s be honest, it was going to happen regardless if it was.

What you could also do from 18 years old was vote.

You could vote for the political party that you preferred. This ‘right’ on the reduction of the age of consent from 21 to 18 was greeted with universal derision by people in their 30’s and older quite simply because they believed that, at 18 years of age, you had neither the wit nor experience to be involved in electing who governed the country.

Whilst there will always be exceptions to prove the rule it has to be said that, on the whole, the people in their 30’s and beyond were quite right.

A referendum on Britain’s membership of The European Union is approaching apace and the ‘In’ campaigners are slightly alarmed.

The recent horrors in Paris along with the obvious concerns in Britain regarding immigration are clearly having an adverse effect on the campaign to remain in the EU.

As a result, Britain’s House Of Lords – predominantly Labour and Liberal Democrat and, as a result, generally favouring the ‘In’ campaign – are about to agree a law allowing 16 and 17 years old kids to have a vote on whether we stay in the EU or leave.

This is quite clearly an attempt to weight the votes in favour of ‘In’ as children – and yes, legally, until they reach 18 they are legally classified as children – can be easily manipulated in school and beyond to believe that leaving the EU would be disastrous for Britain.

Politically ‘left’ people are, on the whole, very much in favour of Britain remaining in The EU and, as it happens, a sizeable majority of teachers in Britain clearly ‘lean’ to the left politically speaking.

Now, if The House Of Lords were voting to allow 16 and 17 year old’s the vote per se including local and general political elections then all well and good. it would still be glaringly obvious that their intentions were to weight the votes for the ‘In’ campaign but at least there would be some consistency in the idea.

Given the number of 17 year old’s that I meet in teaching them to drive, frankly, the thought of any of them having a say on what day of the week it is let alone who governs Britain is extremely worrying – and I know! I’m sounding like an old fart myself here buy hey ho – but, I suppose, as they are entitled to marry, have children and pay taxes then perhaps it’s something that we will just have to accept at some juncture.

Odd really. At 16 and 17 you can marry, have children, work and pay taxes yet you can’t legally buy or drink alcohol. I should think that, perhaps, if they are going to be given the right to vote on Europe keeping them at least legally sober might not be a bad thing.

So there you have it.

In their desperate attempts to shore up the votes to remain in The European Union the House Of Lords are apparently going to give temporary voting rights to under 18’s.

Oh well. If they are remotely like me at that age with luck they’ll be too busy hopping into bed with some girl or, if female, vice versa, or, to bring things more up to date, too busy on their computer games blowing up zombies to bother.

That, my poor poor Britain, may be our only hope of unshackling ourselves from the lunacy of The European Union.

 

About Post Author

Neil Bamforth

I am English first, British second and never ever European. I have supported Oldham Athletic FC for 50 years which has made me immune from depression. My taste buds have died due to too many red hot curries so I drink Kronenburg beer and milk - sometimes in the same glass. I have a wife, daughter, 9 cats and I like toast.
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jess
8 years ago

Me myself and I were very aware of what was going on at that age due to the ‘rents involvement with political thing. I think my very first political deal was walking streets for Clinton with mom, I was probably 9 or so. Got involved with the death penalty at about thirteen same thing with the LGBT community due to my aunts involvement and have stayed aware of it, adding my own causes through the years. Don’t write off all young people as being stupid Norm, we’re not and we might surprise you. I have an 8 yr old niece and 12 yr old nephew that have been involved with homeless charities and just this weekend my husband and I took them to their very first march up in Oakland for climate change, we were baby sitting for his sister. The oldest one is too into his social life right now but he’s coming around, this Thursday he’s going to be doing the annual turkey day run with me for the local food banks. Please don’t write off the young people, they have to be shown by example.

Reply to  jess
8 years ago

You make good points Jess. My mother was always very politically aware, and she would share the news with me, even at the tender age of 9-10.

jess
Reply to  Professor Mike
8 years ago

Yeah the ‘rents were all about giving back because they had so very much and had been really fortunate and it got passed to me for good or bad. Here’s another little anecdote from me. After I left that message this morning, I called up our niece and asked if she wanted to go up to the city with me to Union square and see the windows before it gets very busy during the holidays, since she is off school this week. They have all the windows up there decorated using animals available for adoption from the SFPCA. After gushing and oohing and awwwing at the babies I get… auntie J the babies I want to take them all home. I took her for lunch and explained to her that the local SPCA or animal shelter probably has a program she can go help out with when she is off school. I had to make a call right then and there to find out. She has to be 10 for her local one but she is going to read up on how to be a perfect animal volunteer for the next two years. It’s the little things that please me 🙂

8 years ago

Is this serious? The British pols are going to grant the right to vote to those under 18? Never know around here after reading Joe’s articles 🙂

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