Latest news with #DarrenHughes
CNN
17-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
UK to lower national voting age to 16 under government proposals
The United Kingdom could become one of the first European countries to lower the voting age to 16 in all national elections, in what the government is calling a landmark effort to 'future-proof' its democracy. If passed by the parliament, the proposed reforms, unveiled Thursday, would bring national votes in line with elections in Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, where younger voters already cast ballots. 'Young people deserve to have a stake and to have a say in the future of our democracy,' said Rushanara Ali, parliamentary under-secretary for local government in the House of Commons on Thursday. 'When we came into power just over a year ago, the government committed through its manifesto to bring forward measures to strengthen our precious democracy and uphold the integrity of our elections.' The UK's move, which could be in place for the next general election, follows a growing global trend toward younger enfranchisement. Darren Hughes, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, welcomed the proposed reforms, telling CNN that lowering the voting age would 'help more young people to cast that all-important, habit-forming vote at a point when they can be supported with civic education.' 'Participation is a vital sign of the health of our democracy. If fewer people vote, our democracy becomes weaker,' he added. In 2008, Austria became the first European country to lower its national voting age to 16, with Malta adopting the change a decade later. In South America, countries including Brazil, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Argentina have permitted voting from age 16 for years. Across much of the world, however, 18 remains the standard minimum voting age. In Asia, countries such as Indonesia and East Timor have set the threshold at 17, while Singapore, Lebanon, and Oman require citizens to wait until 21 to cast a ballot. Within the UK, the government's intentions have drawn scrutiny. James Yucel, head of campaigns at the center-right thinktank Onward, told CNN that the proposal was 'not some noble push for democracy' but instead 'political engineering aimed at boosting (Labour's) support.' In both opinion polls and votes, younger voters tend to skew more heavily towards Labour than the main opposition Conservatives. The proposed reforms drew criticism from the Conservative Party on Thursday, with lawmaker and shadow cabinet member Paul Holmes saying in the House of Commons: 'Why does this government think a 16-year-old can vote, but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket, an alcoholic drink, marry, or go to war, or even stand in the elections they are voting in?' The reforms would also expand acceptable voter ID to include digital formats of existing IDs, such as driving licenses and armed forces' veterans' cards. UK-issued bank cards would also be accepted.
CNN
17-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
UK to lower national voting age to 16 under government proposals
The United Kingdom could become one of the first European countries to lower the voting age to 16 in all national elections, in what the government is calling a landmark effort to 'future-proof' its democracy. If passed by the parliament, the proposed reforms, unveiled Thursday, would bring national votes in line with elections in Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, where younger voters already cast ballots. 'Young people deserve to have a stake and to have a say in the future of our democracy,' said Rushanara Ali, parliamentary under-secretary for local government in the House of Commons on Thursday. 'When we came into power just over a year ago, the government committed through its manifesto to bring forward measures to strengthen our precious democracy and uphold the integrity of our elections.' The UK's move, which could be in place for the next general election, follows a growing global trend toward younger enfranchisement. Darren Hughes, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, welcomed the proposed reforms, telling CNN that lowering the voting age would 'help more young people to cast that all-important, habit-forming vote at a point when they can be supported with civic education.' 'Participation is a vital sign of the health of our democracy. If fewer people vote, our democracy becomes weaker,' he added. In 2008, Austria became the first European country to lower its national voting age to 16, with Malta adopting the change a decade later. In South America, countries including Brazil, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Argentina have permitted voting from age 16 for years. Across much of the world, however, 18 remains the standard minimum voting age. In Asia, countries such as Indonesia and East Timor have set the threshold at 17, while Singapore, Lebanon, and Oman require citizens to wait until 21 to cast a ballot. Within the UK, the government's intentions have drawn scrutiny. James Yucel, head of campaigns at the center-right thinktank Onward, told CNN that the proposal was 'not some noble push for democracy' but instead 'political engineering aimed at boosting (Labour's) support.' In both opinion polls and votes, younger voters tend to skew more heavily towards Labour than the main opposition Conservatives. The proposed reforms drew criticism from the Conservative Party on Thursday, with lawmaker and shadow cabinet member Paul Holmes saying in the House of Commons: 'Why does this government think a 16-year-old can vote, but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket, an alcoholic drink, marry, or go to war, or even stand in the elections they are voting in?' The reforms would also expand acceptable voter ID to include digital formats of existing IDs, such as driving licenses and armed forces' veterans' cards. UK-issued bank cards would also be accepted.
CNN
17-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
UK to lower national voting age to 16 under government proposals
The United Kingdom could become one of the first European countries to lower the voting age to 16 in all national elections, in what the government is calling a landmark effort to 'future-proof' its democracy. If passed by the parliament, the proposed reforms, unveiled Thursday, would bring national votes in line with elections in Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, where younger voters already cast ballots. 'Young people deserve to have a stake and to have a say in the future of our democracy,' said Rushanara Ali, parliamentary under-secretary for local government in the House of Commons on Thursday. 'When we came into power just over a year ago, the government committed through its manifesto to bring forward measures to strengthen our precious democracy and uphold the integrity of our elections.' The UK's move, which could be in place for the next general election, follows a growing global trend toward younger enfranchisement. Darren Hughes, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, welcomed the proposed reforms, telling CNN that lowering the voting age would 'help more young people to cast that all-important, habit-forming vote at a point when they can be supported with civic education.' 'Participation is a vital sign of the health of our democracy. If fewer people vote, our democracy becomes weaker,' he added. In 2008, Austria became the first European country to lower its national voting age to 16, with Malta adopting the change a decade later. In South America, countries including Brazil, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Argentina have permitted voting from age 16 for years. Across much of the world, however, 18 remains the standard minimum voting age. In Asia, countries such as Indonesia and East Timor have set the threshold at 17, while Singapore, Lebanon, and Oman require citizens to wait until 21 to cast a ballot. Within the UK, the government's intentions have drawn scrutiny. James Yucel, head of campaigns at the center-right thinktank Onward, told CNN that the proposal was 'not some noble push for democracy' but instead 'political engineering aimed at boosting (Labour's) support.' In both opinion polls and votes, younger voters tend to skew more heavily towards Labour than the main opposition Conservatives. The proposed reforms drew criticism from the Conservative Party on Thursday, with lawmaker and shadow cabinet member Paul Holmes saying in the House of Commons: 'Why does this government think a 16-year-old can vote, but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket, an alcoholic drink, marry, or go to war, or even stand in the elections they are voting in?' The reforms would also expand acceptable voter ID to include digital formats of existing IDs, such as driving licenses and armed forces' veterans' cards. UK-issued bank cards would also be accepted.
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Farage's Reform UK reached a 'tipping point' - and it's worrying news for Labour
Analysis of the local election results by the Electoral Reform Society shows Reform getting an almost 10-percentage point 'winner's bonus' in their haul of council seats last Thursday compared to their vote share Reform UK have reached a 'tipping point' where Britain's electoral system works for them rather than holding them back. Nigel Farage's party has long opposed the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system which holds back challenger parties. But analysis of the local election results by the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) shows Reform getting an almost 10-percentage point 'winner's bonus' in their haul of council seats last Thursday compared to their vote share. Across 22 of the 23 councils contested last Thursday, Reform won just under 31% of the vote but garnered just over 40% of the seats, leading to a 'winner's bonus' of 9.8 points. In the 2013 local elections - when Ukip got its strongest vote - the party got just 5% of the council seats available, despite winning 20% of the vote. The ERS analysis shows that just a 12.2-point increase in Reform's vote share in 2025 compared to UKIP's in 2013 has resulted in a huge 35.5-point increase in council seat share. Darren Hughes, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said: "It is clear from these results that UK elections are turning into a random lottery to see which party will get the 'winner's bonus' under First Past the Post. " But in worrying news for Labour, Keir Starmer's party suffered the greatest electoral penalty from the FPTP system at the local elections, seeing a difference of -8.2 points, with its 14% vote share yielding just 5% of council seats. Labour benefited from the system hugely in last year's general election, turning a slim lead in votes to a huge commons majority. The FPTP system saw Labour win a landslide 63% of the seats in Westminster on just 34% of the vote [2], leading to the most disproportional parliament in British history. Mr Hughes added: "At these local elections we again saw that people are voting in an increasingly multi-party way and our two-party voting system is simply unable to cope. "That is why it is throwing out distorted results that don't represent the way people voted with parties winning majorities on councils on just over a quarter of the vote. "This just underlines the need to move to a fairer, proportional electoral system for town halls, as well as Westminster, that accurately reflects the way people vote in the seats parties receive. "Rather than gifting different parties massive electoral bonuses that don't represent the votes they won, the only bias the electoral system should have is to the voters."
Pembrokeshire Herald
12-05-2025
- Health
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Celebrating community: The key to good mental health this Mental Health Awareness Week
Health service calls for shift to prevention, long-term funding and cross-government planning as system faces growing pressure WITH just one year to go until the next Senedd election, NHS leaders in Wales have issued a stark warning to politicians of all parties: without urgent and radical change, the Welsh health and social care system will face an unsustainable future. The Welsh NHS Confederation, which represents all health boards and trusts in Wales, has published a new report setting out what NHS leaders want from the next Welsh Government. Based on responses from 95 senior NHS figures across the country, the report highlights the urgent need to move away from reactive, short-term measures and towards a long-term strategy focused on prevention, wellbeing, and coordinated action across government departments. Key among the recommendations is a call for a cross-government strategy to improve health and reduce inequalities, with 87% of NHS leaders backing a national plan that would tackle the wider causes of poor health—such as poverty, housing, education, and employment. The Confederation warns that without such action, the NHS will struggle to cope with rising demand, driven by factors including an ageing population, an increase in chronic and preventable illnesses, and ongoing workforce shortages. The number of people in Wales living with four or more long-term conditions is projected to double by 2035, placing even greater strain on already overburdened services. Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said: 'There is only so far the NHS and other public bodies can go in making meaningful, sustainable progress if the right conditions aren't in place. 'Short-term funding cycles make it extremely difficult for organisations to plan effectively, invest wisely, and build the kind of resilient communities we need. If we are serious about reversing the decline in the nation's health, we must focus now on prevention, early intervention and addressing health inequalities at their root.' He added that demographic trends paint a worrying picture, with the proportion of the population aged 80 and over expected to double between 2000 and 2038. This group already accounts for a disproportionate share of NHS activity. The Confederation is urging the next government to embrace the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, which it says are not being fully realised under current funding arrangements. While the report has been welcomed by many within the sector, some observers note that successive Welsh Governments—both Labour-led and, in coalition periods, involving Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats—have long acknowledged the importance of prevention, yet struggled to shift funding and policy at the necessary scale. Critics argue that similar calls have been made repeatedly over the past decade, yet the reality on the ground remains dominated by crisis response and waiting list backlogs. In February 2024, the Welsh Government was forced to issue a £175 million emergency funding package to tackle pressures in emergency care and elective surgery. Meanwhile, the latest statistics from StatsWales show that as of March 2025, over 750,000 patient pathways remain open—meaning more than one in five people in Wales is waiting for planned treatment or assessment. The British Medical Association Cymru has described the situation as 'deeply worrying,' while acknowledging the immense strain frontline staff are under. The Confederation's report does not shy away from the scale of the challenge, noting that achieving a shift to prevention will require bold political choices, including long-term investment in public health, closer integration with local government and social care, and a reallocation of resources away from acute care. Political parties are now beginning to shape their manifestos ahead of the May 2026 Senedd election. Welsh Labour, which has led the Welsh Government since devolution began in 1999, has pledged to maintain a publicly funded, publicly delivered NHS. Plaid Cymru has emphasised the need for a 'National Health and Care Service' to integrate health and social care. The Welsh Conservatives have called for more choice for patients, greater use of technology, and a reduction in management bureaucracy. The Welsh NHS Confederation said it would engage with all parties over the coming months to ensure that the voice of health and care leaders is heard in shaping the policy agenda.
