Labour plans to lower voting age to 16 - Polidicks

[quote] Lowering the voting age could be one of the first acts of a new Labour government as the party wants 16- and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in the London mayoral election of 2016, one of Ed Miliband's closest allies will say on Friday. In a speech in London, Sadiq Khan, the shadow justice secretary, will say lowering the voting age is at the heart of the party's plans for constitutional reform. Khan hopes to have legislation to change the voting age in place by the London mayoral contest of 2016, but the timing means a constitutional reform bill would have to be passed speedily to give young people time to register to vote. Khan will argue that lowering the voting age is a crucial way of tackling "the public's malaise towards all things political". The shadow justice secretary, who is tipped as a frontrunner to be Labour's candidate in the mayoral elections, will say: "I'd love it if we can get the law changed in time for the next London mayoral contest. "Getting the public into the habit of voting is clearly a key part of any solution if we are to raise the numbers of those who participate in elections. We need to get people hooked on voting at an early age because the evidence shows if you vote when you first become eligible you're more likely to keep on voting for the rest of your life. Don't vote when you're young and you're more likely to never vote. "Changing the law and extending those eligible to vote would mean governments in the future would be foolish to ignore their voice." A Labour source said getting 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in 2016 is "our target". [/quote] [url]http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jan/23/labour-voting-age-16-mayoral-elections[/url] I know the response to lowering the voting age is always, "16 year olds are too stupid/ill-informed/apathetic/immature etc. to be allowed to vote." but I think that tends to be true of most people regardless of age. There are lots of people who are well past 18 who know nothing about politics and still vote. 16 year olds can join the army, get a job, pay taxes and have sex. Government policy affects them in a number of important ways and for that reason I think they should be given a voice in politics. We won't be alone if we lower the voting age Austria has a voting age of 16, for most purposes, as does Brazil and a number of other countries.

Not this again. I still think 16 is too young.

[QUOTE=Aidan_088;43652821][B]16 year olds can join the army, get a job, pay taxes and have sex.[/B] [/QUOTE] The problem with that argument is that it assumes that 16 year olds [I]should[/I] be able to do all of those things. Raising the age for all of those things would solve that discrepancy just as well as lowering the voting age. Personally, though, I've no idea if 16 year olds should vote. There's no point at which one could set the bar without it causing issues for someone.

If a 16-year-old is legally allowed to work and have to pay taxes on the money they earn from working then they should have the right to vote.

heh no that's two years less time to explain to dumb fucks like me why voting is a p big deal and how you should make sure you're making the right decision

[QUOTE=Sgt-NiallR;43652847] Personally, though, I've no idea if 16 year olds should vote. There's no point at which one could set the bar without it causing issues for someone.[/QUOTE] I agree in that most 16 year olds likely don't know enough about politics to vote, I just think that this is also true of most 18 year olds and even 21 year olds. Most people have a very tenuous grasp on politics, no one reads manifestos and most people just don't care about politics. some 16 year olds however do care and are well enough informed to be able to make a meaningful choice and for that reason I think they should be allowed to vote. It's also true that if younger people are allowed to vote issues affecting them, like EMA and student loans, will likely be taken more seriously by politicians.

Go back to when you were 16 (which many of you still are) and look at your political ideals and some of the retarded decisions you had made. Do you really think the average 16 year old should be able to vote when they know fuck all about how a government works?

[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;43652885]Go back to when you were 16 (which many of you still are) and look at your political ideals and some of the retarded decisions you had made. Do you really think the average 16 year old should be able to vote when they know fuck all about how a government works?[/QUOTE] Go back to when you were 18 (which many of you still are) and look at your political ideals and some of the retarded decisions you had made. Do you really think the average 18 year old should be able to vote when they know fuck all about how a government works?

[QUOTE=Aidan_088;43652891]Go back to when you were 18 (which many of you still are) and look at your political ideals and some of the retarded decisions you had made. Do you really think the average 18 year old should be able to vote when they know fuck all about how a government works?[/QUOTE] fuck no. Most people shouldn't be eligible to vote until they're in their 40's but that's not gonna go over well with the people that are sub 40 years old. Why widen the bar to further retard the system?

You people do realize that of the 16 year olds who are even bothered enough to go out and vote, will most likely be the same 16 year olds who are informed politically and interested in politics?

[QUOTE=wewt!;43652855]heh no that's two years less time to explain to dumb fucks like me why voting is a p big deal and how you should make sure you're making the right decision[/QUOTE] A lot of people 18 years and older don't give a single fuck about politics until the election ads rock up and then they just blabber on about the lies and slander that they see and hear about and then end up donkey voting the ballot anyway or vote based on regional preferences. The Australian Senate vote last year was a massive joke with [b]97 candidates[/b] on it so no single Australia would have given a fuck no matter the age requirements to vote.

[QUOTE=Clovis;43652894]16 year olds cant even pick the right brand on goon, how are they going to pick the right potitical leader for them?[/QUOTE] The only right or wrong with goon is which brand is the cheapest. It's hard for anyone to get that wrong!

[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;43652903]fuck no. Most people shouldn't be eligible to vote until they're in their 40's but that's not gonna go over well with the people that are sub 40 years old. Why widen the bar to further retard the system?[/QUOTE] I would think the proportion of people who know nothing about politics would be roughly the same amongst 16 year olds and 18 year olds. But most people who know nothing about politics don't vote anyway. There are lots of 16 year olds who do know what they're talking about and are more than mature enough to be able to vote. All that stopping them from doing so achieves is alienating young people from politics.

[QUOTE=Sgt-NiallR;43652847]Raising the age for all of those things would solve that discrepancy just as well as lowering the voting age.[/QUOTE] Most people tend to lose their virginity around the age of 16 and tend to get their first jobs by about the same time as well.

[QUOTE=Memobot;43652831]Not this again. I still think 16 is too young.[/QUOTE] Considering people can get a job at 16 it makes a lot of sense.

As long as it isn't forced I don't see any problem with it, the people that don't care won't vote and the people that do care will be able to vote.

[QUOTE=Clovis;43652894]16 year olds cant even pick the right brand on goon, how are they going to pick the right potitical leader for them?[/QUOTE] Having the right doesn't mean they will, I know people in their mid-late 20's who don't vote.

[QUOTE=mcattack1092;43652916]The Australian Senate vote last year was a massive joke with [b]97 candidates[/b] on it so no single Australia would have given a fuck no matter the age requirements to vote.[/QUOTE] You forgot to mention that voters had to either let someone else choose their preferences for them, or preference every. single. candidate. And we had more than a 100 candidates for the Senate in New South Wales. I think the UK is different though, we are one of the few countries in the world with compulsory voting while voting in the UK is optional I think.

[QUOTE=mcattack1092;43652916]A lot of people 18 years and older don't give a single fuck about politics until the election ads rock up and then they just blabber on about the lies and slander that they see and hear about and then end up donkey voting the ballot anyway or vote based on regional preferences. The Australian Senate vote last year was a massive joke with [B]97 candidates[/B] on it so no single Australia would have given a fuck no matter the age requirements to vote.[/QUOTE] Well yeah, that's as obvious as the tides, but lowering it to 16 just increases the margin of error

Ironically all this would do is lower voter turnout as more people who are eligible to vote won't.

IMO if you earn income that the tax man can tax, you should be able to vote.

the problem with letting 16 year olds vote is this: 1. the vast majority of them wont vote because they don't give a fuck therefore 2. those that do vote are gonna be a fuck tonne of joke votes and extremists every average dumb 'politically minded' 16 year old thinks they're somewhere close to either a communist or a nazi

[QUOTE=Clovis;43653041]You do realise that voting is compulsary for anyone at the age limit or above? It's not america, you get fined if you don't vote[/QUOTE] This thread is about the UK

[QUOTE=Clovis;43653041]You do realise that voting is compulsary for anyone at the age limit or above? It's not america, you get fined if you don't vote[/QUOTE] Yeah well afaik Sobotnik lives in the UK where voting isn't compulsory. And the article in the OP is about the Labour Party in the UK. The 'u' in 'Labour Party' should have been a dead giveaway that this has nothing to do with Australia.

[QUOTE=Aidan_088;43652891]Go back to when you were 18 (which many of you still are) and look at your political ideals and some of the retarded decisions you had made. Do you really think the average 18 year old should be able to vote when they know fuck all about how a government works?[/QUOTE] no. but in those 2 years you do a lot of things like 1. go into higher education, possibly studying politicals, philosophy, economics, business, and sociology 2. get a full-time job the kind of maturity and learning that happens in those 2 years is massive [QUOTE=Sobotnik;43652905]You people do realize that of the 16 year olds who are even bothered enough to go out and vote, will most likely be the same 16 year olds who are informed politically and interested in politics?[/QUOTE] that's what makes it even scarier

[QUOTE=ChestyMcGee;43653052]the problem with letting 16 year olds vote is this: 1. the vast majority of them wont vote because they don't give a fuck therefore 2. those that do vote are gonna be a fuck tonne of joke votes and extremists every average dumb 'politically minded' 16 year old thinks they're somewhere close to either a [B]communist or a nazi[/B][/QUOTE] Then you have people who are write-offs on what their parents taught them. Such as myself having a more conservative mindset, being born and raised as such. Or you have people who literally voted for the Democrats because the Obama stickers have a fucking peace symbol or they vote Republican because, "they protect mah religion" Honestly, it should be either set at the age of full maturity(24), or set at when you pay taxes, because only then can you really say, yes sir I fully hate my government.

well, on my country 16 year olds are allowed to vote look where we got

[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;43652903]fuck no. Most people shouldn't be eligible to vote until they're in their 40's but that's not gonna go over well with the people that are sub 40 years old. Why widen the bar to further retard the system?[/QUOTE] that would literally destroy society. [QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;43652885]Go back to when you were 16 (which many of you still are) and look at your political ideals and some of the retarded decisions you had made. Do you really think the average 16 year old should be able to vote when they know fuck all about how a government works?[/QUOTE] I was slightly a shitlord back then and wasn't into politics at all most 16 year olds aren't

[QUOTE=Clovis;43653041]You do realise that voting is compulsary for anyone at the age limit or above? It's not america, you get fined if you don't vote[/QUOTE] Are you seriously suggesting that everywhere that isn't America has compulsory voting just because you have it in Australia? Surely you aren't?

[QUOTE=LarparNar;43653179]Are you seriously suggesting that everywhere that isn't America has compulsory voting just because you have it in Australia? Surely you aren't?[/QUOTE] I'm fairly sure he made the assumption that this thread about the Australian Labour Party.