5 days ago
‘Britain is doomed to a Left-wing government for the foreseeable future'
Labour has confirmed it's plans to give 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote at the next general election.
First proposed in their manifesto last summer, the change will align national polls with those in Scotland and Wales.
In an exclusive Telegraph poll, readers were strongly opposed to the change, with 94 per cent of 52,000 voters saying 16-year-olds should not have the right to vote.
'Labour have completely lost the plot'
Many readers express concern that 16-year-olds lack the judgement and life experience needed to vote in the interest of the country.
David Upton, a Telegraph reader, says: 'Labour have completely lost the plot. I didn't get the vote until I was 21 when my father explained to me how the Government works. He told me I am not entitled to an opinion unless I vote. Very few 16-year-olds will understand the responsibility or mechanisms of the voting structure.'
Charlie Burkett, another reader, states: 'they don't pay tax, own property, cannot drive legally, can't drink or smoke, in fact nothing they do is impacted by the government.'
In response to the Prime Minister's argument that 16-year-olds are able to pay tax, reader Geoff Smith remarks: 'If the argument is that you vote because you pay tax, does it follow that you lose your vote if you don't?'
Concerned for the precedent this ruling may set, reader Penny Morie writes: 'Age restrictions are in place either to protect children or because the law does not consider them to have the maturity to cope. 16-year-olds are not deemed old enough to buy tobacco, lottery scratchcards, solvents. They may not marry, enter nightclubs, go to war, or have cosmetic procedures.
'While there may be some parents who think voting at 16 is a good thing, perhaps they should consider what might follow, such as lowering the voting age for all or any of the above – bearing in mind that this is not a definitive list of age restricted items and processes.'
Others also argue that being given the right to vote should come with corresponding responsibilities. One reader went further, suggesting that 'if 16-year-olds are enfranchised to vote, then the state should view them as adults in every respect.'
'They're most likely to vote for Labour, Liberal or the Greens'
With the voting population now expected to expand, readers speculate how a more diverse ballot will affect Britain's future.
Malcolm Partington says: 'Britain is doomed to a Left-wing Government for the foreseeable future.'
He added: 'Young people are most likely to vote for Labour, Liberal or the Greens.'
Another Telegraph reader was convinced that these changes had only come about due to Reform's recent success in the polls.
A recent Ipsos poll found that Reform were on course to win 34 per cent of votes, enough for an outright majority at the next general election.
'A party that only secured 20 per cent of eligible voters has unilaterally changed the voting system for Mayors because Reform started winning. It's now unilaterally changing the eligibility to vote because Reform are ahead in the polls. Apparently, we live in a democracy.'
Labour and Tories 'worked against' the young
A minority of Telegraph readers sought to make the case for extending the franchise. One reader argues: 'Whatever Labour's intentions, 16-year-olds given the vote is the right decision.
'The truth is people tend to vote according to their own interests, not those of their country. And older people are not more honest than those under 18. The older people get, the more they tend to get corrupted by life.'
Readers also pointed to Scotland as a case study; the voting age was lowered north of the border ahead of the 2014 independence referendum.
Rodney Brown shares: 'What I will say as a teacher of that age cohort is that they don't tend to vote without some encouragement. When they do, they don't do as their parents do.
'They seem to be encouraged to vote for the SNP and Greens which has ensured a majority under proportional representation for them for decades. I do not think Labour, nor the Tories will benefit. Both have worked against that age cohort for a very long time.'
