UK reduces voting age to 16, aims to boost electoral participation

Stembolt

The United Kingdom has announced plans to lower its voting age from 18 to 16 in an effort to increase voter turnout in national elections. The change aligns with the current government’s promise made during its election campaign, although it has sparked criticism from opposition parties alleging political motivations.

Somewhat-Reticent

Foolery born of Desperation?

egeezer

Stembolt
I understand the minimum age to join the military in the UK is sixteen.
If you’re old enough to fight and die for your country, you’re old enough to vote.

Donoreo

That will most likely shift the vote to the left a bit, it will help the Labour Party who happen to be in power at the moment. Hmmmmm.

HooRU

I might like the shift, but I don’t like the idea. Honestly, voting should start at 21, so should adulthood. In my mind, 18 is still a minor. And smoking and drinking should be after 25. Voting at 20 seems better to me.

HooRU

We’re all diots until sometime after 25

Thane_Bitter

Stembolt How to tell ‘Labour’ is in power without saying so.

Brilliantly stupid move but the party only cares about short term goals (ie staying in power).

dave

HooRU

Well, since I’ve been an adult since 18, I tend to support the idea that you’re an adult at 18. One noticeable point – at British universities, therefore, students are adults and treated as such.

I disagree with the idea of adults not being allowed to drink, etc. They’re adults. You don’t need a patchwork of regulations saying “you’re an adult for this, but a child for that”.

I think we’re all idiots, not until a particular age, but until we have to take responsibility for our own actions and choices. Delaying that date won’t help you be more responsible.

When it comes to 16-year-olds in the military, the appropriate phrase is “child soldiers”, and is not a good thing.

With respect to 16-year-olds voting, I’m inclined to view that negatively as a knee-jerk reaction; but I have not read any detailed arguments for either side.

dave

egeezer

If you’re old enough to fight and die for your country, you’re old enough to vote.

You’re only old enough to fight and die if your mum agrees - i.e., 16-year-old enlistment requires parental consent. Maybe mum needs to co-sign your ballot paper? ;-)

(Actually, I’m not sure if 16-year-olds are eligible for active combat positions)

px_eliezer_

The BREXIT vote by which the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union, was a f***ing of the young people by the old and super-old.

Suddenly a future in which a younger person in the U.K. could live, work, study, in a wide range of other countries, was taken away.

I’m about 70 myself now, but the world would be better if more younger people could vote, and FEWER really old people voted.

BREXIT is one example of an issue in which younger people had far more at stake than did older people. Climate change is certainly another.

Likewise we have too many paliticians of ALL sides who damn well should retire rather than cause more embarassment to themselves and damage to the world.

robxr4ti

HooRU the quickest way to become an adult is to mess up things at 18.

HooRU

It’s also true that messing up as a child of 18 can land you in serious shit, for a lifetime. Don’t tell me you don’t make such mistakes, we all do. Better to recognize the reality that you aren’t adult until after 25 some time.

InternetJeff

egeezer If you’re old enough to fight and die for your country, you’re old enough to vote.

And I would add… drink, smoke, gamble, own a gun, enter into legal contracts, get married, drive, etc. One age for everything. Although, IMO 16 is too young for everything.

Heat84

dave Well, since I’ve been an adult since 18, I tend to support the idea that you’re an adult at 18.

Why? There’s no science behind it. Why do we consider the rest of the animal kingdom to have reached adulthood when they can start procreating, but we have a whole different un-scientific threshold for ourselves? Psychologists say mid 20’s is when we reach adulthood. That’s also better than 18.

Some people think you’re not an adult until you’re raising kids. I guess I’m Peter Pan then.

ElQuintron

This thread is not really salvageable, and will be locked