campaign history
There have been many significant milestones in the history of the Votes at 16 campaign. We hope we’ll be able
to add ‘voting age lowered to 16’ to this list soon!
Meanwhile, find out more about campaign origins and progress in our campaign timeline below.
2011
5 April. Votes at 16 coalition launch a new interactive website, with a supporters map, to showcase the work Votes at 16 campaigners across the UK.
9 March. In Canada, a private member’s bill (a bill introduced in the House of Commons by a Candian Member of Parliament who is not a cabinet minister) is put forward to lower the voting age from 18 to 16.
2010
14 December. Peers speak warmly in favour of Votes at 16 in a debate about the referendum on whether to change the voting system. Read the news article here.
19 October. Almost 200 opposition MPs vote in favour of 16 and 17 year olds being allowed to vote in the referendum on whether to change the voting system to the AV [alternative vote] system. This is the first time large numbers of Labour MPs have voted in support of 16 and 17 year olds having voting rights. Read the news article here.
April. The Liberal Democrats confirm in their General Election manifesto their policy to extend right to vote to 16 and 17 year olds, which has been reiterated since 2001 (read here – see page 88). The Labour Party says it will give a free vote to MPs on the matter (when MPs don’t have to follow the party line on an issue) but only following improved citizenship education. Read the news article here.
2009
12 May. Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson puts forward an Early Day Motion (a motion to raise an issue in the House of Commons) on votes at 16 to commemoratethe 40th anniversary on 12 May 2009 of the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18 years. It receives 44 signatures. Read the news article here.
17 April. The Youth Citizenship Commission (YCC) publishes the results of its public consultation on whether the voting age should be reduced to 16. It finds strong views on both sides, though more responses support for Votes at 16. It recommends that this matter be decided by political processes and politicians rather than by an independent commission. A number of respondents to the consultation cite international human rights law in support of extending the franchise. The YCC states ‘To be fully informed on these issues, the YCC has sought the Government’s position on these international rights’. It backs the Government’s view that a blanket exclusion is justified. Read the news article here.
18 March. The Scottish Nationalist Party says 16 and 17 year olds will be entitled to vote in the independence referendum. Read the news article here.
2008
20 October. 16 and 17 year-olds vote in Jersey for the first time. Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Williams puts forward an Early Day Motion (a motion to raise an issue in the House of Commons) on Votes at 16 in reaction. It achieves 28 signatures. Read the news article here.
28 September. Austria makes history, as the first national in the European Union to implement Votes at 16, as 16 and 17 year olds vote in national elections.
13 June. The Scottish Government has called for the voting age to be lowered to 16 and demanded the powers from Westminster to implement the change in Scotland, and announces that they will introduce a Bill that will allow 16 and 17 year olds to be full members of local health boards. Read the news article here.
8 June. The Labour MP, Julie Morgan, introduces a Private Member’s Bill, the Voting Age Reduction Bill. This is discussed in the House of Commons but MPs ran out of time to vote on whether they favoured Votes at 16. This was due to MPs ‘talking out the Bill’ by preferring to discuss issues around Votes at 16 rather than vote on it. Read the news article here.
29 February. The UK Government announces a Youth Citizenship Commission that focus on young people aged 11 to 19. The Commission is tasked with examining what citizenship means to young people, considering how to increase young people’s participation in politics and the development of citizenship among disadvantaged groups, and thinking how active citizenship can be promoted through volunteering and community engagement. The Commission is also asked to lead a consultation on whether the voting age should be lowered to 16.
7 February. The Welsh Assembly passed a vote in favour of votes at 16 by a margin of 44 to 4, with 3 absentions. This motion was put forward by Kirsty Williams AM (Brecon and Radnorshire), Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. However, the Assembly has no power to bring the policy into effect as this is a power of the UK Parliament.
2007
5 December. Labour MP Julie Morgan puts forward an Early Day Motion (a motion to raise an issue in the House of Commons) on Votes at 16. It receives 111 signatures. the EDM can be read here.
27 October. The Scottish National Party passes resolution at its annual conference in support of Votes at 16. Read more here.
2006
19 April. Peers reject an amendment from Lord Livsey of Talgarth, Liberal Democrat Peer, to the Electoral Administration Bill that would extend the vote to 16 and 17 year olds (43 votes in favour; 218 against.) Read the debate here.
27 February. The Power Inquiry, chaired by Labour Peer Helena Kennedy QC, recommends extending the franchise to 16 and 17 year-olds. Read the full report here.
January. 80 young people make the case for Votes at 16 when meeting the Minister for Women and Equality, then Harriet Harman MP, and other MPs in Parliament.
2005
29 November. The Liberal Democrat MP, Stephen Williams, introduces a Private Member’s Bill, Representation of the People (Reduction of Voting Age) Bill. 128 MPs support the Bill and 136 vote against it. Read the debate here.
18 October. Labour MP, Diana Johnson, tables an Early Day Motion (a motion to raise an issue in the House of Commons) calling on the Government to use the Electoral Administration Bill to legislate to lower the voting age to 16 for all public elections in the UK. The EDM receives 109 signatures. The EDM can be read here.
2004
19 April. The Electoral Commission recommends following a consultation that the UK’s minimum age for voting should stay at 18. However, the majority of the 7,500 responses it received to a consultation were in favour of lowering the voting age to 16. The Electoral Commission recommends that the minimum candidacy age should be lowered from 21 to 18.
9 March. SNP MP, Angus Robertson, calls for Parliament to vote for for the Government to legislate to reduce the voting age, rather than just note the Electoral Commission’s review. 346 MPs vote against this call, and 50 vote in favour. The debate can be read here.
2003
13 February. Liberal Democrat MP, Matthew Green, puts forward an Early Day Motion (a motion to raise an issue in the House of Commons) to mark the creation of the Votes at 16 coalition. The EDM can be read here.
23 January. The Votes at 16 coalition is launched in Parliament. Read more here.
9 January. The Conservative Peer, Lord Lucas, introduces a Private Member’s Bill, the Voting Age (Reduction to 16) Bill. The Bill passed through the lords but no Parliamentary time was made for it in the Commons. Read the debate here.
2002
4 July. It is announced that the Electoral Commission are going to review whether the voting age should be lowered to 16. The Commission on Local Government Electoral Arrangements in Wales – an independent review set up by the Welsh Cabinet – announces support of the lowering of the voting age to 16. Read more here.
2001
Representatives of the Young People’s Rights Network meet with the Electoral Reform Society to discuss jointly campaigning for Votes at 16.
14 April. The Liberal Democrats party is the first UK political party to publicly support extending the franchise to 16 and 17 year-olds in all public elections. The Manifesto can be read here.
2000
CRAE arranges meeting for young people from the British Youth Council, Children’s Express, the Office of the Children’s Rights Commissioner for London, the National Black Youth Forum and the UK Youth Parliament to discuss shared goals. The Young People’s Rights Network is subsequently established and Votes at 16 is top of their campaign list.
September. The Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) publishes ‘The real democratic deficit. Why 16 year olds should be allowed to vote’. This can be read here.
1999
15 December. The Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes proposes an amendment to the Representation of the People Bill. The amendment is defeated by 434 votes to 36. Read the debate here.
13-16 September. Trades Union Congress (TUC) pass Motion 24, ‘Young people, the youth service, enfranchisement and the age of majority‘, to campaign on Votes at 16.
Young people-led Article 12 organisation recommends in its ‘Respect!’ report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child that 16 and 17 year-olds be given the right to vote.
1998
The British Youth Council’s report ‘State of the Young Nation’, surveys 1000 young people across the UK about their participation in society and their understanding of political processes. It reinforces BYC’s campaign for lowering the voting age to 16.
