The Votes at 16 Coalition have today been giving a chance for those young people excluded from local council elections to have their say.

Despite being directly affected by the decisions made today, 16 and 17 year olds are yet again having their opinions ignored. Katie Blaze Rowe (pictured), for example, a former member of the UK Youth Parliament ran a mock polling station in Kent to mirror those across the rest of the County.

It gave young people a chance to turn out and demonstrate that they are not apathetic, simply restricted. As they cannot cast a vote, they are instead signing a petition calling on the government to lower the voting age to 16 for all local and general elections.

There were also similar events being held in North Tyneside, and an online version of the petition is available here so that everyone has the chance to continue to collect and demonstrate their support for the campaign.

We are asking that during the Month of May you collect as many signatures from people who support the extension of the franchise as possible. These petitions will be used to demonstrate that young people are not apathetic and would turn out to vote if given the chance.

Elections, such as May’s local council elections, will directly impact on the lives of young people yet they will have no say in their outcome. Using arguments of an ‘apathetic youth’ to deny young people their right to vote shows little understanding of voting habits, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child or the wealth of political interest and engagement that is present amongst young people.

We believe that it is a basic right to have a say in decisions that affect us. We therefore call on the government to lower the voting age to 16.

DOWNLOAD THE PETITION HERE

If you have any further questions please contact votesat16@byc.org.uk

As many of you may have seen, on Friday The Independent and The i newspapers published an article titled “Stop pandering to young people”. In the article the journalist Mary Dejevsky uses the negative publicity around Paris Brown, the recently resigned Kent Youth Police Crime Commissioner, to attack the campaign to lower the voting age.

In response to this a letter was drafted outlining where the coalition felt the article was flawed in its arguments. Members of the Coalition then demonstrated their support for the letter by signing it.  A copy was sent to the Independent. This letter, which can be read below, continues to draw support from our members.

Dear Ms. Dejevsky,

We are writing to you on behalf of the Votes at 16 Coalition and in response to the comments made in the recent article; “Stop pandering to young people”.

We read with some dismay the reactionary and somewhat patronising views, apparently gleaned from the reported mistakes of one young person. A young person, it should be noted, that was appointed by adults and not voted for by her peers. Paris Brown is held up as a “one-woman reason” why the voting age should not be lowered to 16 but no individual should be used as a  representative sample of the some 1.5 million 16 and 17 year olds across the UK.

The article argues that since reducing the voting age from 21 to 18 there has only been muted support for further reduction or support only from self interested parties. We would like to draw your attention to the very public support now demonstrated by all Political Houses across the UK. On the 4^th July 2012 the Welsh Assembly voted in favour of lowering the Voting age to 16 by 43 votes to 8. On the 7^th November 2012 the Northern Ireland Assembly agreed by 51 votes to 29. Most recently the House of Commons added their support when they debated the back bench motion on the 24^th January 2013, followed by yet another successful vote which passed by 119 votes to 46. It should also be noted that all major parties were represented amongst the ‘for votes’.  This is not to mention that the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey (2008), Jersey (2007) and The Isle of Man (2006) who have already lowered their voting age to 16.

Alongside this, and as is indeed acknowledged, Scotland has also shown its support by lowering the voting age for the upcoming independence referendum. The article claims that it would be flattery to assume this is because “they (younger voters), more than anyone else, would be living in an independent Scotland”. In fact, this is absolutely right. As Nicola Sturgeon argued, “No-one has a bigger stake in the future of our country than today’s young people”. In an age of sweeping cuts that have devastated large swathes of youth services it might be more accurate to argue that lowering the voting age will simply give young people a chance to redress an imbalance that has often seen them overlooked or directly targeted by cuts they have no say in.

Towards the end of your article the author writes, with some certainty, that “16 year olds are not adults”. It seems strange that when citing the various stages at which young people take on new responsibilities you feel that adulthood has such a distinct start date. It would, perhaps, be more accurate to see the transition into adulthood as an ongoing process, a process that could be enhanced by the chance to become politically engaged earlier. Even in the proposed changes to the current varying ages you still feel that you would keep the age of sexual consent, and therefore the legally condoned age of parenthood, at 16. On that logic, we believe it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to argue that parenthood should be considered as at least as big a responsibility as voting.

We would like to thank you for your time, and your interest in the Votes at 16 campaign, but would urge you to consider the arguments a little more deeply before making such public and reactionary comments.

Kind Regards,

The Votes at 16 Coalition

Co-signed by:

Rosina St. James, British Youth Council
Electoral Reform Society
Global Youth Justice
Intergenerational Foundation
National Childrens Bureau
National Council for Voluntary Youth Services
The National Youth Agency
Newport Youth Council
Dannie Grufferty, NUS Vice President Society and Citizenship
Plaid Cymru Ifanc/ Party of Wales Youth
Paul Smyth, Chief Executive Public Achievement Northern Ireland
Scottish National Party Youth
Student Voice
Grant Costello MSYP, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament
UNISON
A National Voice

“There are those who point to the fact that only 44% of 18-25 year olds voted in the last election to suggest that to lower the voting age would just mean more apathetic non-voters. But this is the wrong way to look at the problem: you don’t engage young people in politics by keeping them shut out of the decisions that matter at just the age that they are starting to care.”

For the full article, please head here.

A bill that would see the voting age reduced for the upcoming Scottish Independence Referendum has been formally brought to Parliament.

Ministers from the Scottish National Party said it would ensure that everyone aged 16 and over on the day of the 2014 referendum vote could take part.

The First Deputy Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon (pictured above), has said that 16 and 17 year olds are “ready to take responsibility for Scotland’s future”. This historic step forward would see 7.9% of the UK’s 16 and 17 year olds newly enfranchised and will set a precedent that UK government should follow.

With a clear message not only from Scotland but from all four nations of the UK, demonstrated through votes in their respective parliaments and assemblies, this must be the first step towards the UK government allowing all of the UKs 16 and 17 year olds to vote.

Click here for more details on the Bill.

Click here to see Nicola Sturgeon’s comments.

It is vitally important for us to know which MPs are in favour so that we can ensure that we have a majority in the House of Commons for when the bill gets its next reading. In order to do this we need your help!

We have produced a list of MPs whose views on the topic we are as yet unaware of.  If you see your MP below, we need you to contact them to find out what their views are. You can then send the response you get to votesat16@byc.org.uk and help us get a complete picture of our support in the House of Commons.

The list of MPs – including their constituency, so you can see who is close to you – is below:

CONSERVATIVE:

LABOUR:

Stephen Williams MP today lead a historic debate in the House of Commons on extending the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds.  The motion submitted, which stated that, “This House believes that the age of eligibility for voting in all elections and referenda in the United Kingdom should be reduced to 16”, won a vote in the Commons with 119 voting in favour, and 46 against.

The British Youth Council – which coordinates the Votes at 16 coalition and runs the UK Youth Parliament – had been lobbying supporters in parliament to support the motion, contacting over 200 MPs, urging them to attend the debate.  BYC also attended with a group of young people and MYPs (pictured above) who were present to lobby their MPs.

Many MPs were supportive of the motion, which sparked lively debate in the House, the balance of argument responding to a growing awareness and participation of young people in politics.

Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Williams, who introduced the motion, said:

“The time has come for a vital step in the renewal of Britain’s democracy. Time to let another one and a half million people take part in voting for the people who run the country. Giving the right to vote to sixteen and seventeen year olds now has widespread support across the political spectrum.” You can read more his support for the campaign on his blog.

Julie Hilling MP – Honorary President of BYC – said:

“This was a great result for young people – as politicians from all parties increasingly recognise the arguments in favour of their greater participation in democracy. Organisations like the British Youth Council and UK Youth Parliament have been campaigning on this for years, and this vote will send encouragement to the next generation that their views, and perhaps votes, will be taken more seriously in politics.”

Labour MP Natascha Engel said:

“If they (16 and 17 year olds) are able to die for their country, surely they should be able to help decide whether the country goes to war in the first place.”

BYC spokesperson Marc Kidson said:

“That the Commons debated the next great extension of the franchise is a very positive step. It reflects the boost to the cause from the momentous decision on the Scottish independence referendum, and a growing momentum towards recognising that 16 is the right age to become a full member of our political community.”

Ebony James, member of the UK Youth Parliament for Oldham, added:

“It’s good to see that votes at 16 finally being taken seriously – we are mature young people who deserve a vote.”

Liam Cutler, MYP for North Yorkshire, said:

“The debate on votes at 16 is a huge step forward. During the debate, hopefully MPs will decide 16 and 17 year olds should be given the vote, which may ultimately lead to a change in the law. Even though 16 and 17 year olds may have a long wait still to be able to vote, it is now closer than ever. We still need to convince as many MPs as possible, to ensure a positive outcome from the debate, rather than it being pushed back to the sidelines.”

You can watch footage of the debate from 6pm on Thursday 24^th January on BBC Democracy Live.

Tell us what you think

Should the voting age be reduced to 16?  Take part in the poll on the front page of the BYC website, and let us know.

On the 24th January the House of Commons will debate lowering the voting age to 16.

Stephen Williams MP has brought forward a backbench motion and will lead the debate on extending the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds. Following this debate there will be a vote in the House of Commons – which is your chance to make a difference!

MPs are elected to represent your views, so we need you to make your views clear to them. We need every one of you to write to your MP to remind/inform them that the debate will be taking place, and urge them to not only attend but also to demonstrate their, and your, support in the vote.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED:

Write to Your MP

There are a number of ways of finding out who your MP is and what their contact details are. One way is via the Votes at 16 website, where you’ll be able to customise an e-mail explaining that you want them to attend the debate and subsequent vote.  You can also find the details for your MP on the Parliamentary website and then contact them directly.  You may prefer to contact your MP via Twitter or Facebook ,but whichever method you choose it is vital that we make all MPs aware of the huge support that there is amongst the public for lowering the voting age!

Rallying Calls to MPs

On Thursday 17th January the Votes at 16 Coalition will be contacting over 200 MPs who have demonstrated their support for the campaign and urging them to attend the debate. This is an opportunity for some of you to go a step further and join us in our offices to assist with this process. If you are close to our London office and can spare some time, e-mail hugo.brookes@byc.org.uk for further information.

Attend the Debate in Person

We are also able to arrange for some of you to sit in the gallery and watch the debate. This is your chance to not only watch politics in action but also to lobby your MP in person. If you would like further details please e-mail hugo.brookes@byc.org.uk

It was announced today that the Northern Ireland Assembly has passed a motion in support of lowering the voting age to 16.

51 MLAs backed a notion proposed by Megan Fearon of Sinn Fein – Stormont’s youngest member – and the Green Party’s Stephen Agnew, with both nationalist parties, the Ulster Unionists and the Alliance, amongst those in favour.

Megan Fearon noted that she had only been entitled to a vote three years ago, despite being “very politically aware” since her early teens. She went on to note that “much more must be done to engage with this younger sector”.

Votes at 16 campaigner and British Youth Council Trustee Marc Kidson said:

“This is fantastic news, and another big win for the Votes at 16 coalition! We’re delighted that the Northern Ireland Assembly have joined The Scottish Government and Welsh Assembly in recognising that 16 and 17 year olds have the right to a say in the decisions that will define their future.

“But a change to the voting age can only be made by Westminster. So surely now the UK Parliament must stand up and take notice, and allow 16 and 17 year olds to take part in all public elections across the UK. And if they don’t, what message does that send to young people – does the UK Parliament have less faith in young people’s abilities to engage in the political system than the Northern Ireland and Welsh Assemblies and The Scottish Government?

“At the age of 16, young people are legally allowed to leave school and enter work or training, consent to sexual relationships, get married or enter a civil partnership and join the armed forces. Surely this gives them the right to a right to a say in the decisions that affect their lives? The Votes at 16 Coalition will continue to campaign until all 16 and 17 year olds have the right to vote in all public elections across the UK.”