UK Plans to Lower the Voting Age to 16
The United Kingdom (UK) has initiated plans to extend the voting age to sixteen years under a new Elections Bill, which will be scrutinised by parliament in September.
A Downing Street spokesperson on Thursday said this was part of the Labour Party’s election manifesto.
If this pushes through, around 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to vote at the next general election in 2029.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer believes the move is important as the age category is “old enough to go out to work, they are old enough to pay taxes.”
He told ITV News, “And I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go.”
Democracy Minister Rushanara Ali, for her part, affirmed that they are equally old enough to have a say in who governs the country.
The UK will be joining countries like Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Greece, Indonesia, Nicaragua and North Korea where young people aged 16 and/or 17 are allowed to vote in all elections.
Source: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
