Public debate urged on (British) voting at 16

[Newsjock]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3297739.stm

A public debate on lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 has been called for by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer.

A lower voting age would encourage more young people to become involved in politics, he told the Observer paper.

... The Electoral Commission is due to report on changes to the voting age in the New Year.

In the interview, Lord Falconer, who is also Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, said: "One might well be able to give teenagers the vote at 16 rather than 18. We need to have a debate about that."

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[alexwcovington]

1. About time

It's about time the House of Commons picked this up -- it was approved by the House of Lords months ago.

It's time to lower the voting age, in the UK and soon in America as well.

National Youth Rights Association
www.youghrights.org

Votes at 16
http://www.votesat16.org.uk/

[dfong63]

2. i dunno about that -

i remember what i was like at 16, and what my peers were like at 16 - imho most 16 year olds don't have the maturity to vote wisely. plus they are still economically dependent on their parents. i think 18 years is young enough.

[asthmaticeog]

5. Hear hear!

I was an IDIOT when I was 16 - actually at 18 as well, but at least in the US 18-year-olds have the age of maturity and the right to enter into contracts, etc. etc., which is to say more of a stake in the system than a minor. Wasn't the voting age lowered to 18 from 21 exactly because 18yos could be conscripted into the armed forces and should thus have a say in who was president?

[alexwcovington]

6. nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. No one should be allowed to vote

who isn't then legally old enough to go and drown their sorrows in a pub when their candidate loses.

[T_i_B]

4. Typical New" labour gimmickry I'm afraid.

Blair's problem is that he needs to raise the voter turnout. However, this cannot be done without upsetting the very same people whom "new" labour policies are designed to appease.

As the anti-war movement has shown, it is not politics which people over here are losing faith with, but the rotten politicians who we have to put up with. Politicians who have made a contest between Labour and Tory meaningless as the two parties are virtually identical.

Don't expect this one to be very much other than talk.