Votes at 16

Probably one of the must unconservative things I have ever written. Taken from the November issue of The Bus magazine (www.heatonmanorbus.co.uk).

British politics has had a bad year. The MPs’ expenses scandal has put lots of people off politics, especially young people. But as we begin to repair our country’s damaged political system, it seems the right time to explore the question of whether we should be lowering the voting age to 16.

When you turn 16, you gain many, but not all, of the rights of adulthood. At 16 we can legally have sex; play the national lottery; leave home; marry; choose whether or not we stay on at school; join the armed forces; and pay taxes. Yet we cannot vote.

The issue that I have the biggest problem with is that we can be taxed and yet we cannot vote. “No taxation without representation” was the slogan used by the revolutionaries in the American War of Independence. Annoyed by the fact that they paid taxes to the British Government but couldn’t elect them, the Americans (in true American style) started a war and eventually declared independence. Over the last decade, 16 and 17 year-olds have paid £550 million of tax to the government. America started a war over this. Why aren’t we so angry?

There is of course the argument that young people are not mature enough at 16 and 17 to make an informed decision at the ballot box. However, I know many 18 and 19 year-olds who I would consider equally as ‘immature’ as some 16 and 17 year-olds. Related is the claim that young people don’t know enough about politics. I bet most adults know as little about politics as young people. At least we have had the benefit of five years of citizenship education in schools
where we have learned about these things.

Maturity, intelligence and political knowledge have never been tests in modern democracies to determine who has the vote. The vote has been given on the principle that it is simply a right that people ought to have. Yes, young people might ‘waste’ their vote by voting for the Monster
Raving Loony Party but one million adults were conned into voting for the fascist BNP at the last election. Who people are going to vote for should not determine whether they are entitled to do so.

The final compelling reason why 16 and 17 year-olds should have the vote is that it will finally mean their needs are taken seriously by politicians. There are a number of issues that specifically affect under-18s: the state of sixth form and college education; EMA; the fact that we have to pay adult fares on buses despite remaining in full-time education. When older people demanded free public transport, politicians jumped and delivered. Why? Because they had the vote. If 16 and 17 year-olds had the vote, politicians would have to listen to us and would have to start responding to our demands as a significant proportion of their electorate.

The reasons for keeping the voting age at 18 do not stand up under scrutiny. The basic principle that the vote must join the rights we already have will prevail, and following the next general election, 16 and 17 year-olds will be given the vote.