Kevin told us:

“I have long supported voting rights for 16 and 17 year olds. There are many reasons why this is the right thing to do but importantly it is because 16 and 17 year olds already have responsibilities and rights that make the exclusion from voting hypocritical.”

“In Scotland by 16, you can leave school, you have reached the age of consent, you can be married, you pay taxes if employed, but have no say on how much money should be raised or what is should be spent on. At a younger and undefined age children can make their own medical decisions, providing they understand the consequences, including the removal of treatment in terminal circumstances.”

“We allow 16 and 17 year olds to make dramatic life-long personal decisions but we exclude them from making the collective decision of deciding our government. They can either make decisions or they cannot but the current halfway approach is not the right balance. It is incompatible to be considered responsible enough to get married but not be able to decide what party you want to vote for.”

“It is arguable that the independence referendum is a unique case for votes for 16 and 17 year olds in that they will inherit the result. Independence will have the longest effect on the young. I believe voting should be allowed for 16 and 17 year olds in all cases but it is important that their voice is heard on independence – Scotland will be making its biggest decision ever.”

“As this vote will be such an important vote and a once in a lifetime opportunity I want to see as many people living in Scotland being able to take part, and help decide our future”.

The Votes at 16 campaign has written to leaders of political parties in the UK to ask them where they stand on votes at 16 in the Scottish referendum. Why not ask your MP what they think? Send a quick email through our website here, and email us at votesat16@byc.org.uk to let us know their thoughts.

Don’t forget to have your say in the Scottish Government’s consultation on the referendum too, and answer question 7 about votes at 16. You can find out more here and get involved.

On 25 January, the Scottish Government launched a consultation ‘Your Scotland, Your referendum’ to find out what people think the ballot paper for the Scottish referendum should say, and also who should be able to vote in this referendum. Question 7 is on votes at 16: “What are your views on extending the franchise to those aged 16 and 17 years who are eligible to be registered on the electoral register?”

What do you think? Take part in the online consultation here.

The Scottish National Party, the party in Government in Scotland who are a member of the Votes at 16 Coalition, have reiterated their commitment to votes at 16 and challenged other parties to support the policy too.

The Votes at 16 campaign has written to all party leaders in the UK asking if they support votes at 16 in the Scottish referendum, and will share the responses we receive in due course.

Ross, Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament and a Votes at 16 campaigner, has been working hard to encourage other young people to get involved in the consultation process and tell the Government that 16 and 17 year olds deserve to vote in the referendum. He told us:

“Opening the referendum up to a whole new generation would not only give them the democratic right to decide their future but it would also engage young people in politics far more enthusiastically than any election ever could.”

“I am asking youth groups, voluntary organisations, individual young people and supporters to respond to Question 7 of the consultation and to support the proposal that the right to vote be given to 16 and 17 year olds for this historic referendum.”

We are organising a week of campaigning action between Monday 5 March to Friday 9 March 2012. Please note – the dates for this week of action have changed from February half term! This is so we can reach more people and also because loads of people have said they want to get involved – which is brilliant news.

This week of action is to rally young people, politicians and general supporters across the UK to back the votes at 16 e-petition.  We need thousands of signatures to get votes at 16 discussed in the House of Commons.

We are looking to recruit young campaigners to become petition champions in their communities. If you get riled up about not being able to vote, or think we should allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote on the decisions that affect them, then this is a unique volunteering opportunity that you can do in your local area to gain experience of face-to-face campaigning. Sign up today by emailing your details to votesat16@byc.org.uk. You’ll become part of an action network supported by the Votes at 16 Coalition to make the maximum impact and learn new skills. Those who collect the most signatures will be recognised by the Votes at 16 Coalition at a unique event in the UK Parliament.

If you have any questions about this opportunity please email votesat16@byc.org.uk or call 020 7250 8377.

65,000 young people from across the UK had previously voted in a record breaking ballot to pick the five topics to be debated.

The five campaigns debated by Members of the UK Youth Parliament were…

- Make Public Transport Cheaper, Better and Accessible for All

- No to Tuition Fees, Yes to Graduate Tax

- Zero Tolerance towards Bullying in Schools

- End Child Poverty

- A Greener Future for Britain

Following the debate, Members of the UK Youth Parliament voted for the top campaign and the winner was ’Make Public Transport Cheaper, Better and Accessible for All‘.

The debate was chaired by the Speaker, Rt Hon John Bercow MP, following opening remarks from the Leader of the House, Rt Hon Sir George Young MP, and Shadow Leader Maria Eagle MP. Members of the UK Youth Parliament also meet the Childrens Minister Tim Loughton MP and the Leader of the Opposition, Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP.

Ed Miliband MP, Leader of the Opposition visited the event and commented on votes at 16: “I think it’s incredibly important that the voice of young people is heard in our politics and the Youth Parliament sitting in the House of Commons is  on symbolic way of that happening at least once a year and I’m a great supporter of  this happening and I have been ever since I was elected to Parliament. I think we’ve got to find other ways as well of hearing young people in our politics; I’m in favour of votes at 16 for example because I think it will bring young people – you can get married, join the army – you deserve having a voice and a vote in our politics“.

The event marked the finale of Parliament Week – a new annual national awareness week which aims to build greater awareness, understanding and engagement with parliamentary democracy in the UK.

At the series of ‘What’s Youth Got to Do with It’ events you can get directly in touch with decision makers through interactive panel debates where you will get the chance to:

• Voice your opinions on the issues that matter to you

• Hear what the panel of politicians, reporters and young people have to say in response

• Vote interactively to give instant feedback on what they said

These free events are outside of the secure zone at party conferences so you will not need to pay for a conference pass.

What’s Youth Got to Do with It – Liberal Democrat Party Conference, Birmingham.

This event is being held on Sunday 18th September from 6.30-9pm at the IET Birmingham. Panelists will include Simon Hughes MP, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, a speaker from Liberal Youth and a young representative from the British Youth Council.

Register for this event here.

What’s Youth Got to Do with It – Labour Party Conference, Liverpool.

This event is being held on Sunday 25th September from 6.30-9.15pm at the Beatles Story museum. Panelists will include Andy Burnham MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Education, a speaker from Young Labour and a young representative from the British Youth Council.

Register for this event here.

What’s Youth Got to Do with It – Conservative Party Conference, Manchester.

This event is being held on Sunday 2nd October from 5.30-8pm at Manchester Town Hall. Panelists will include Tim Loughton MP, Children’s Minister, a speaker from Conservative Future and a young representative from the British Youth Council.

Register for this event here.

These events are being organised by The Co-operative group in partnership with the British Youth Council, the Young Mayors Network and the UK Youth Parliament, and supported by O2 Think Big.

If it gets at least 100,000 signatures, it will get debated in the House of Commons.

Add your name today online to be part of the movement saying we’re ready for votes at 16!

Add your name to the petition here.

“The Government’s E-petitions website is a fantastic way to engage people about a whole range of issue and for us especially, it is a great way to promote the Votes At 16 campaign. Too often we come up against the excuse that there is no demand for lowering the voting age, that young people aren’t engaged with politics or that we would not make the effort to go out and vote. This petition can show clearly how all of those arguments fall flat on their face“.

“We can easily achieve the 100,000 signatures needed for the possibility of a debate in Parliament. After all, there are currently over 1.5 million of us denied our right to vote and millions more who support our cause across the country“.

The e-petition by Ross reads:

“We want our political system to recognise the abilities of 16 & 17 year olds. To properly include us in our society and show us the trust and respect that society expects of us by giving us the right to vote. A 16 year old can:

◦give full consent to medical treatment

◦leave school and enter work or training

◦pay income tax and National Insurance

◦obtain tax credits and welfare benefits in their own right

◦consent to sexual relationships ◦get married or enter a civil partnership

◦join the armed forces

◦become a member of a trade union or a co-operative society but he/she currently cannot have any say in the government that ultimately controls these things.

This is wrong. Votes at 16 would engage young people with politics in an era where disillusion with the political establishment is at a peak. It would encourage involvement and enthusiasm from young people and most importantly, it would give us a say in how our country is ran“.

Before the House of Commons broke for its summer recess, Stephen Williams MP put forward an Early Day Motion (EDM) asking MPs to show their support for lowering the voting age. MPs can add their name to this EDM to show that they personally support an issue.

28 MPs have added their names so far. We’d love to get loads more signing the motion over the summer. You can help us do this by sending an email to your MP. You can send a fully personalised email to your MP about signing the motion with a few clicks of your mouse here.

We currently have 214 MPs, a third of the total 650 in Parliament, who have supported votes at 16 during this Parliament. This motion presents a great opportunity to increase this number! Although it is now recess we can ask MPs to add their names so we can see an updated list of who has officially supported votes at 16 when MPs get back to Parliament on 5^th September.

Stephen Williams MP is a long term supporters for lowering the voting age; in November 2005 he introduced a Private Member’s Bill for votes at 16 which was defeated by just eight votes. Stephen’s motion is below:

Early Day Motion 2048. Reducing the Voting Age to 16.

“That this House believes that the voting age for elections to the House of Commons and any elected Second Chamber should be reduced to 16 years, following the example in Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Austria, Brazil and state level elections in Germany; and further believes that young people already have significant rights and responsibilities at 16 and 17 years and should be able to have their say in choosing the politicians who make decisions about their lives“.

28 MPs have added their name to the motion. They are:

• Tom Blenkinsop MP, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland

• Peter Bottomley MP, Conservative MP for Worthing West

• Martin Caton MP, Labour MP for Gower

• Jeremy Corbyn MP, Labour MP for Islington North

• Nic Dakin MP, Labour MP for Scunthorpe

• Jim Dobbin MP, Labour/Co-operative MP for Heywood and Middleton

• Mark Durkan MP, Social Democratic and Labour Party MP for Foyle

• Jonathan Edwards MP, Plaid Cymru MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr

• Natascha  Engel MP, Labour MP for North East Derbyshire

• Paul Flynn MP, Labour MP for Newport West

• Andrew George MP, Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives

• Mary Glindon MP, Labour MP for North Tyneside

• Mike Hancock MP, Liberal Democrat MP for Portsmouth South

• David Heyes MP, Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne

• Kelvin Hopkins MP, Labour MP for Luton North

• Susan Elan Jones MP, Labour MP for Clwyd South

• John Leech MP, Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington

• Naomi Long MP, Alliance MP for Belfast East

• Caroline Lucas MP, Green MP for Brighton, Pavilion

• John  Mann MP, Labour MP for Bassetlaw

• John McDonnell MP, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington

• Alan Meale MP, Labour MP for Mansfield

• Margaret Ritchie MP, Social Democratic and Labour Party MP for South Down

•Adrian Sanders MP, Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay

• Eilidh Whiteford MP, Scottish National Party MP for Banff and Buchan

• Hywel Williams MP, Plaid Cymru MP for Arfon

• Mark Williams MP, Liberal Democrat MP for Ceredigion

• Stephen Williams MP (Primary Sponsor of the EDM), Liberal Democrat MP for Bristol West

You can see our full list of supportive politicians here.

We are happy to tell you that the motion was passed by Redcar and Cleveland Council on Thursday 21 July.

One amendment was made to the motion by a Liberal Democrat Councillor who stated that 16 year-olds should be also able to stand for election.

Congratulations to everyone who campaigned to make this happen, including a big thanks to UK Youth Parliament Redcar and Cleveland.

Cllr Dale Quigley, Labour Party Councillor for the Kirkleatham ward, told the press: “I was delighted that the Council accepted this motion, and that it was backed by some opposition councillors too [Redcar and Cleveland Council is a Labour Party led Council] . It is absurd that young people can join the Army, work, drive and even join a political party before they are allowed to vote. Lowering the voting age is something that would provide real representation and really engage young people in the democratic process.”

Cllr Mary Ovens, Lib Dem Group Deputy Leader, also said: “The right to vote and stand for election at 16 and 17 has been Liberal Democrat policy for many years. Currently 16 year olds can work and pay tax but have no say in how the money is spent. This is wrong and should change.”

The full motion is described below:

MOVED by Councillor Learoyd and duly seconded by Councillor Dunning that:

This Council notes:

• that 16 and 17 year olds are fully affected by decisions made by elected local authorities;

• that they can also leave school, get married, join the armed forces, have a full-time job and must pay income tax but are not allowed to vote or stand in public elections;

• that the introduction of citizenship education onto the national curriculum at key stages 3 and 4 is intended to ensure that young people will reach the age of 16 with a knowledge of political structures and how elections work;

• an increasing number of organisations support a reduction in the voting age to 16 including Barnardos, the British Youth Council, the Care Leaver’s Association, the Children’s Society, the National Union of Students, the National Youth Agency, the Co-operative and UK Youth Parliament.

• Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council supports the involvement of young people in the Youth Service and in the decision-making process, as seen with its support for UK Youth Parliament representatives.

This Council believes:

• that young people can be interested in politics and have valid views on issues that affect them;

• that 16 and 17 year olds are treated as adults for most purposes and that all adults should have the right to vote in public elections;

• that refusing to allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote is likely to further depress turnout and encourage young people give up on formal political structures and thus lead to further political apathy.

This Council therefore resolves:

1. To support moves to lower the voting age for all public elections to 16 and;

2. To support the Votes at 16 Campaign.

You can photograph what you like and how you like, just as long as the pictures you take are high quality and illustrate inspirational young people or individuals campaigning for votes at 16. Can you do better than our shots on this page?

First prize is a Fujifilm FinePix XP10, a compact all action digital camera, and the winning picture will feature on the Votes at 16 brand new leaflet. Two runners up will win an annual subscription to Photography Magazine. All shortlisted entries will be showcased on the Votes at 16 website – who knows, your image may even make it into a newspaper or magazine.

So, whether you are pursuing a career in photography or simply love taking photos, we want you to grab your cameras and get involved.

To enter, please submit up to three of your favourite photos along with a 150-word max outline of what each image represents before midnight on Wednesday 17th August to votesat16@byc.org.uk. The photos should be in JPEG format and between two and five megabytes. Please include your full name, age, e-mail address and telephone number.

Check out the terms and conditions for more information.

This follow a campaign by the Redcar and Cleveland Members of the UK Youth Parliament.

Councillor Tristan Learoyd said: “Young people are vital to the political process and the council is sending out a very clear message that we value the input and potential of young people to shape the borough’s future”.

George Dunning, Labour Leader of the Council said: “Redcar & Cleveland is a progressive council and we not only want to develop services that help young people, but we want their future involvement in the life of the borough.  We hope this motion sends out a very clear signal as to our commitment”.

Temi Sobowale, UK Youth Parliament Redcar & Cleveland stated:  ”With the Votes at 16 motion being proposed to councillors, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council are taking one step forward towards lowering the voting age while additionally, empowering the youths of Redcar and Cleveland. Should the motion be passed, history will be made for the Redcar and Cleveland constituency of UK Youth Parliament!”

Cameron Brown, UK Youth Parliament Redcar & Cleveland  “Not only are 16 and 17 year olds by law able to make complex decisions and take on wide ranging responsibilities, they are also showing in practice that they want to make a positive difference. Locking them out is patronising: it relies on out-dated views about young people’s capacities. Seeing Redcar & Cleveland council taking steps in the right direction is excellent news“.

The Votes at 16 coalition welcomes the decision to propose this motion and hopes other councils follow suit. Got inspired? You can find out how to get a motion on votes at 16 passed in our guide here.