SIXTEEN year olds will be given the right to vote in all UK elections as part of seismic changes to modernise UK democracy, delivering a key manifesto commitment and helping to restore trust in politics through Labour’s Plan for Change, it was announced today. Some welcomed the move, but others said it signals desperation by the current administration.
The Government says this will mean young people, who already contribute to society by working, paying taxes and serving in the military, will be given the right to vote on the issues that affect them. This will bring UK-wide elections in line with Scotland and Wales and is a major step towards meeting a manifesto commitment, ushering in the biggest change to UK democracy in a generation.
The plans, it’s claimed, will boost democratic engagement in a changing world, and help to restore trust in UK democracy. As part of the plans, the government is going further to make sure eligible voters are not deterred from voting, by expanding voter ID to permit the use of UK-issued bank cards as an accepted form of ID at the polling station.
This is alongside harnessing more digital options to support voters and polling station staff, including allowing accepted IDs such as the Veteran Card and UK driving licence to be used at polling stations when they become available in digital format.
Harry Mills, Director at Oku Markets, said that “by giving votes to sixteen year olds, Labour is simply trying to capture more votes for itself. Labour is chasing the dreams of teens to escape the impending nightmare of their total decimation at the next General Election. Everybody knows that youth are largely unsullied by the harsh realities of life and tend to lean leftward, clinging onto the utopian dream of a socialist paradise, until they realise someone has to pay for it all”.
Mary Maguire, Managing Director at Astute Recruitment, said her 16-year old son will be thrilled, but also had concerns: “With a 16-year-old son, who I’m proud to say keeps an impartial head as to social media ‘news’, the fact he will be able to vote will thrill him. As a family, we discuss politics at home. We share information, talk about topics and current affairs and have lively debates. But how many teenagers as whole will have that genuine balance in forming their opinions? That’s my main concern.”
Meanwhile, Gabriel McKeown, Political & Economics Writer at Sad Rabbit – Substack Newsletter, said the Government is completely out of touch with today’s youth: “Labour fundamentally misunderstands the ideological shift occurring within our youth, something that will manifest itself in ever more skewed election outcomes in the years ahead. The cumulative effect of economic exclusion, social disenfranchisement and a profound sense of abandonment is pushing Britain’s youth towards a great rejection of the existing system’s status quo.
“Growing numbers are turning to the ideological fringes in search of retribution against a broken system, not driven by a desire to shape future policy, but to totally overhaul the existing structure. This is why the current wave of youth radicalisation is not occurring as a monolithic movement, but is instead totally bifurcated, with parallel trends forming across the far-left and the far-right in equal measure. In response to this fragmentation, the foundations of the existing two-party system are beginning to crumble, and this will only accelerate as younger voters become a larger proportion of the electorate.”
Parish council chairman, Keith Budden, Managing Director at Ensurety, said having younger people involved in politics would be a “breath of fresh air”: “While I hear the argument of don’t give 16 year olds the vote, they won’t do their research before voting, let’s be honest, whether you take a cohort of 18-year olds, 30-year olds or 70-year olds, most of them won’t do their research before voting. If this move gets more young people into politics, particularly local politics — and I speak from a position of knowledge as I’m a parish council chairman myself — seeing an intake of young people would be a breath of fresh air.
“However, what is important if this is to happen is that the teaching of politics, local politics and why voting matters must take more prominence in our schools. Crikey, it might actually get younger people away from their phones and actually talking to one another.”
Scott Gallacher, Director at Rowley Turton, was supportive: “I support giving 16-year-olds the vote. If they can work, pay taxes and even join the military, it’s right they have a say in how the country is run. But we must also recognise the growing influence of social media on young minds. Without proper regulation of online platforms, we risk handing even more power to algorithms and misinformation at the very moment we’re expanding the franchise. The move to relax overly strict voter ID rules is also welcome—voter fraud has been vastly overstated, and making it easier for legitimate voters to cast their ballot is a step in the right direction.”
Michelle Lawson, Director at Lawson Financial, also said the move smacks of desperation: “Desperation is starting to kick in at Labour HQ to get votes. Sixteen year olds have a voice but are not deemed as ‘adults’ in most sectors of the community. They have an opinion but are they educated enough to vote for a polifical party? Sadly I don’t think so.”
Her views were echoed by Tony Redondo, Founder at Cosmos Currency Exchange, who said: “This smacks of pure desperation after a year to forget for Labour, back in power after a 15-year absence.”
Harry Goodliffe, Director at HTG Mortgages, said “giving 16-year-olds the vote might sound modern and progressive, but it feels more like political posturing and vote-hunting rather than genuine reform. If the government really wants to restore trust in politics, maybe start with delivering results, not just expanding the voter base to younger, more impressionable demographics. Yes, 16-year-olds can work and pay tax, but voting requires a level of life experience and critical thinking that many are still developing. This isn’t about democratic engagement it’s about playing the system. Let’s fix the fundamentals before rewriting the rules”.
Rohit Kohli, Director at The Mortgage Stop, was upbeat but said we need to go further and move towards proportional representation: “This is long overdue. Sixteen-year-olds can work, pay tax and join the military so there’s no reason they shouldn’t also have a say in how the country is run. This change strengthens democracy and recognises that young people will live with the consequences of today’s political decisions far longer than most of us. But if we’re serious about modernising UK democracy, then votes at 16 should be just the start. A genuine commitment to reform would also include a move towards proportional representation. Only then can we claim to have a truly democratic system.”
Photo by Benjamin Sow on Unsplash
