Will Britain Lower the Voting Age To 16?
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An opposition (Labour) politician – Jim McMahon – has put forward a private member’s bill saying the legal voting age in England should be reduced to 16. It already is in Scotland and, I think, Wales so it would be England only. As far as I know Northern Ireland would have to decide for themselves. Anyway, the bill has been put before the House of Commons.
There is quite a debate raging about this in England.
Sixteen? Good God! Wet behind the ears! Kids!” rage the Conservatives and those of a more right of center disposition.
“Marvellous!!” say those of a more left of center disposition – mainly because it is believed the younger people tend to be more left wing therefore it will increase the left voter base and increase the chances of Labour getting elected.
Clearly the Conservatives think the same thing hence their opposition to the very idea.
Personally I’m inclined to think voters of 16 and 17 years of age probably will, on the whole, be more left wing than anything.
I was.
Teenagers tend to be far more left of center politically speaking. The more right wing views tend to come with a bit of age and a growth of cynicism.
The general consensus is that, on the whole, it would be a good thing.
After all, if 16 and 17 year old’s are not in further education they are working therefore paying taxes so, if they are paying taxes surely they are entitled to representation.
A phrase, generally attributed to James Otis about 1761, that reflected the resentment of American colonists at being taxed by a British Parliament to which they elected no representatives, became an anti-British slogan before the American War Of Independence; in full, the James Otis statement was “Taxation without representation is tyranny”.
Even if 16 and 17 years old’s are still in education then, it could be said, as they are somewhat at the sharp end of education they know better than any government what is lacking and what needs addressing.
About the only caveat I can come up with regarding this is the fact that the last thing I should have been given at 16 and 17 was the right to vote. God alone knows where that would have led.
There will be those who wonder if I should have the right to vote now! – possibly not 😉
On the other hand, as I was not particularly politically engaged – unless you count my Che Guevara poster on my bedroom wall, the likelihood is I wouldn’t have bothered voting at 16 or 17 as A) I would have been down the pub and / or B) too busy trying to get some young blond in the general vicinity of my bedroom.
That, slightly oddly, actually supports giving the vote to 16 and 17 year old’s.
Those politically invigorated and engaged would vote whilst those more like me at that age would forget or not bother. On those grounds I can see no harm in it what so ever.
The argument against seems mainly to suggest 16 and 17 year old’s do not have enough ‘life experience’.
Really? You mean like older people such as Tony Blair or Donald Trump or Osama Bin Laden?
It is perfectly clear to me that giving the vote to 16 and 17 year old’s would let them have a say in their future. We, the older people, might not like their choices but, after all, whose future is it? Not, I would suggest, ours.
In England you can, at 16 years of age, get married, work, pay taxes, have children and yet you can’t legally drink a beer. Weird. You’re old enough to commit to marriage, have children and hold down a job but you can’t go for a relaxing pint. Neither can you actually vote for your future or, more accurately, the future you would rather like.
I know any number of 17 years old’s through teaching them to drive that I wouldn’t trust to remember to breath regularly let alone vote but, I know even more 40, 50 and 60 year old’s in the same category so, I say, give the kids their right to have a say in the future they want.
I might hate what they want but it’s theirs not mine nor anyone else in my age bracket.
I doubt the private members bill will pass this time but, as sure as eggs are eggs we have to give the kids their future whether we like it or not.
How about it America? What do you think about giving 16 and 17 year old’s the right to vote – not to mention the right to a thirst quenching beer!
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I’d give the 16 year olds the chance to vote. The kids have to be smarter than you were at the same age. If not, there is no hope for your country.
😂😂😂 never a truer word!!!