Starmer's Plan to Lower Voting Age to 16 in the UK: A Bid to Win Over the Youth?

Strategic Insights -

Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, is set to hand the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds, a move that will make the UK join a handful of countries, including Austria, Argentina, and Brazil, in lowering the voting age for national elections. This decision is seen as a bid to restore the "social contract" with younger generations, whose needs and desires have been ignored by successive governments, and whose faith in democracy is lower than other age groups.

Key Takeaways:

  • Keir Starmer's plan to lower the voting age to 16 is based on his admiration for Harold Wilson, who also extended the franchise to 18 in 1969, and his belief that it is essential to restoring the "social contract" with younger generations.
  • The decision is also seen as an issue of fairness, as Starmer believes that if you can serve in the military, pay tax, and reach adulthood, you should have a say in politics.
  • Starmer's opponents, including Nigel Farage, have accused Labour of attempting to "rig the system" and secure re-election on the back of a "youthquake."
  • However, the idea of lowering the voting age has been gaining momentum since 1985, when a Liberal Democrat MP, Jim Wallace, first put forward a youth charter bill to improve educational and work opportunities and lower the voting age.
  • The policy has been a core part of the Liberal Democrats' manifesto since 1992, and has also been adopted by the SNP in 1997.
  • In Scotland, 16 and 17-year-olds have been allowed to vote in local and parliamentary elections since 2016, and have shown higher turnout than their older counterparts.
  • The decision to extend the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds will increase the size of the franchise by 3%, and has the potential to make a significant impact in a tight election contest.
  • However, there are concerns that the change may have a negligible impact, given the volatility of the electorate and the fact that 49% of 16 and 17-year-olds in a recent poll did not want to vote before 18.
  • The bigger problem for Starmer is the perception of other voters, with 70% of respondents in a More in Common poll sharing Farage's view that Labour is seeking electoral advantage, and opposing the change by 48% to 27%.

Statistics:

  • The UK will join a handful of countries, including Austria, Argentina, and Brazil, in lowering the voting age to 16 for national elections.
  • There are 114 constituencies where the size of the incumbent MP's majority is smaller than the number of 16 and 17-year-olds living there.
  • The number of 16 and 17-year-olds who will gain the right to vote is approximately 1.5 million, increasing the size of the franchise by 3%.
  • In Scotland, the turnout among 16 and 17-year-olds has been higher than among their older counterparts in subsequent elections.
  • In Austria, turnout among 16 and 17-year-olds roughly matches other age groups.
  • 49% of 16 and 17-year-olds in a recent poll did not want to vote before 18.
  • 70% of respondents in a More in Common poll shared Farage's view that Labour is seeking electoral advantage, and opposing the change by 48% to 27%.

Sources:

  • No 10 source
  • The Swinging Sixties and the Mod subculture of the 1960s
  • Jim Wallace, Liberal Democrat MP
  • The Youth Citizenship Commission
  • Wes Streeting, President of the National Union of Students and now Health Secretary
  • Ed Miliband, former Labour leader
  • The Sunday Times analysis
  • Wendy Chamberlain, Liberal Democrat MP
  • More in Common poll
  • Dominic Hauschild, additional reporting