Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16?

[@mjl2904]

What is the point of some of these debates they end before they even start 😂

[@tibodeclercq2131]

How is 3 minutes enough for a "debate" ?

[@Maksimszz]

yeah a bit lame that they cut it short, I wanted to hear both of their sides.

[@officerSteam.]

Same for the United States of America they do sales tax and other taxes that 16 year olds 17 year olds heck even 5 year olds do it so maybe 5-year-olds to be able to vote

[@BritWolf1]

If young people were more likely to vote Tory, this policy would be fastracked through in weeks..

[@BenjL]

Exactly

[@jakehowie442]

Instead they’re more likely vote Marxist…grow up

[@Mike-tb9xq]

so you accept this is a power grab by Labour then?

[@BenjL]

@@Mike-tb9xq I do, and I'm sick of pretending I don't.

[@keifer7813]

​@@Mike-tb9xq Probably but just because it's a power grab doesn't mean it's not also a valid point. No taxation without representation. Can't have your cake and eat it

[@MattsAttack9]

I haven't heard a solid arguement for why it shouldn't change

[@adamcraig1468]

They keep telling us your brain doesn't finish developing until 25 and you aren't as rational in your decisions. So that seems a good reason

[@MattsAttack9]

@@adamcraig1468 No

[@adamcraig1468]

@@MattsAttack9 no isn't am intelligent rebuttal. I'm correct. 16yo children aren't emotionally or intellectually equipped to make political decisions

[@melaniabladeofmiquella]

​@adamcraig1468 most adults aren't either, the adults have turned this world into dystopia, children care about each other and the world, what do you care about? Limiting rights

[@BritWolf1]

They showed their hand when they said, young people are more likely to vote to the left.. It's not that they disagree with 16s having a vote, they just dont like how they vote. I wonder how fast this policy would come in if 16s suddenly all wanted to vote tory? It would be fastracked through in weeks...

[@Muhammad_Sausage]

You will have to remove the minimum wage tariffs for juveniles also.

[@rvrocelot3410]

Ah yes, Samantha’s the one who sees a bully that makes up death threats as a role model…

[@keifer7813]

What Keirs said is valid. If you're gonna tax them, let them vote. Otherwise, stop taxing them. End of debate

[@keifer7813]

@@JenniSummers-dc4hw That's fine but then do you also think under 25s should be liable to pay tax?

[@JenniSummers-dc4hw]

@@keifer7813 A 10 year child actor has to pay tax. I don't think that 10 year old should vote either.

[@keifer7813]

@@JenniSummers-dc4hw I'm asking if you think the 10 year SHOULD have to pay tax

[@Ciwg]

@@keifer7813 Voting age should stay 18, maybe even raised to 21. No debate

[@keifer7813]

@@Ciwg Then that should be the age they are liable to pay tax. Agreed?

[@billhowie21]

Yes pensioners are an advantage the Tory Party they seem to say ,So why can't 16 year olds be an advantage to the Labour Party.

[@jmyoungking]

Wow I didn't know Great Britain had the some of the same problems we have over here in the US

[@keifer7813]

It's almost like people are people no matter what continent they're a part of

[@Waywind420]

Putting the fate of our society in the hands of children...what could go wrong. In my opinion the voting age should be increased to 23+ 16-22 is the most sociable age where people tend to hive-mind all their ideas so that they fit in. Increasing the age would insulate our democratic process from being ''review bombed'' in a sense, by college kids who've yet to work in the world and have spent years being drip fed political ideology through the institutions they've attended.

[@fleason771]

I'm fully in favour for two simple reasons. 1.) It will engage some young people in politics & not all 16 year olds will bother no doubt anyway. 2.) A fixed parliamentary term is 5 years. Why shouldn't 16 year olds be allowed to vote when the next 5 years will affect them? We also should see an end to two party politics & the abolishing of first-past-the-post in favour of proportional representation. We had a chance at changing to AV voting years ago and even that's better than what we have now

[@jakehowie442]

5 years will also affect 15 year olds too. Your age limit reason has zero logic

[@fleason771]

@@jakehowie442 You have to have a limit & if that limit is only bringing us in line with other devolved countries like Scotland and Wales then why should it be an issue?? 🤔

[@Maksimszz]

I was engaged in politics at 16, but I only became educated on politics and the world at the end of 1st Year in my A level Economics and my 2nd year. That's why as a young adult I completely disagree that 16yr olds should be allowed to vote, Unless they add a GCSE Economics program then I would change my opinion (I didn't have one at my high school unfortunately).

[@drasticplasticaustin]

I'm all for it, why not give them an earlier learning curve and choice in which mess they'd rather end up at the mercy of? Also it would help boost an ever dwindling electorate.

[@mikegreen5596]

It should be the same age as when you can be charged with a crime

[@mariewalmsley6143]

That would be 10.😂

[@tomwilliams1786]

If you pay tax you should be able to vote simple

[@oxenford539]

everyone, even children, pay sales tax. 11 year old with an allowance? they're paying taxes. the thing is almost no 16 year olds have an income high enough to reach the first income tax bracket to begin with. they could pay income tax in theory, but don't. and the legal working age in the UK is actually 13, not 16. it's just that a 13 year old can't legally work during school hours but - just like 16 year olds - they would (in theory) pay income tax if they somehow had a high enough wage when they did work to meet the first income tax bracket. so should the voting age be 13?

[@HellFire-o4h]

Under 16s these days can't even work out if they are a girl, a boy, or a cat, not a chance should it be lowered.

[@Maksimszz]

When I was 16 I was interested in politics but not very educated, It was only after I finished my A Level in Economics that I gained the sufficient knowledge to make decisions on businesses and workers.

[@james970027]

For me it simply comes down to: if they can't vote and work then why should they pay any tax? Why should they have a lower minimum wage based on their age? Why aren't we teaching credit, mortgages, interest etc in schools? If they stop child benefits at 16 unless they are in college and education, then why make it so difficult for younger people to support themselves who have parents who aren't able or unwilling to continue supporting them? If they want kids to grow up, maybe give them some autonomy and start treating them like adults rather than taking advantage of them as this country does and then people wonder why young people lean left.

[@aaopopanda9205]

Definitely, no taxation without representation.

[@james970027]

Exactly, don't see why if you're working you shouldn't get a vote - hence if they want a fair system where people have a pay in to vote for, make it so that only those who work can vote.

[@melaniabladeofmiquella]

Yes, and put a limit of 70 on it

[@trevoralexander3694]

Why do 16 year old get to vote for the Tory leadership then?

[@Liam_1538]

Richard should be presenter permanently hes the perfect man for ben shepherd replacement

[@SamJeffries-yd7hy]

Why have you locked the Farage video? Limiting free speech

[@adamcraig1468]

I thought their brains didn't develop until 25??

[@kanedNunable]

thats BS tho

[@adamcraig1468]

@@kanedNunable all these young people keep telling us its real yet they want to vote before 25 lol

[@keifer7813]

​@@adamcraig1468Never heard that from a young person before. I've only ever heard it from middle aged adults. Regardless, no taxation without representation

[@madeleinemcfc]

I don’t think 16 years old are ready to make difficult decisions on who to vote because there’s a lack of 16 years old who aren’t very political before they turn 18.

[@aaopopanda9205]

So are most people over the age of 70. Should we remove them?

[@kanedNunable]

maybe because they cant vote?

[@Kevin-t9q9n]

I was very political at 15 in 2020 and follow news throughout that year and very much involve and very much ready to get involve not only in this there many teens who didn’t vote that time said that if they were they would have voted and have watch the news and done there own research so at 15 from January through December I was so involved at young so don’t think we could made differences at that age because now four years later at 19 I’m now even more evolve than before I can vote.

[@jimoconnor2594]

So can they buy alcohol and and cigarettes and have a bet on the horses at 16 years of age ?

[@kanedNunable]

derp, nobody is saying that

[@mattsabo1234]

Apparently, all the makup chemicals are taking over. 😂😂😂

[@eulogiofuentes1940]

Well, if you gonna put a responsibility on a 16 year-old to be able to vote, then they should be able to join the military or they gonna be treated as an adult ? if they commit a severe crime at the age of 16 then accept the consequences ! are they going to use an excuse I’m under age ?

[@kanedNunable]

they go to youth prisons dude.

[@oxenford539]

gonna have to say no on this one. absolutely everyone else has had to wait until they're 18 to vote. they, too, can wait until they are 18 to vote. the wait is never all that long; we're about to have our 4th general election in the span of 9 years.

[@keifer7813]

Just because you and I got mugged off having to pay tax without being allowed to vote until 18, doesn't mean they should get mugged off too

[@oxenford539]

@@keifer7813 realistically almost no 16 year olds pay income tax as almost no 16 year olds are on an income high enough to reach the first income tax bracket. in fact, mrore tax revenue will be made from sales tax from children buying things with allowances than from income tax of 16-to-18 year olds. so should 12 year olds also vote because they pay sales tax? or consider that the working age in the UK is actually 13, not 16. there are stricter rules over what jobs they can do, but they can still work and have a wage. so if it's about ability to work, should 13 year olds vote?... i really don't understand where the idea that paying taxes should mean people can vote came from. it's especially weird because next to no 16 year olds reach the income requirements to actually pay income tax

[@keifer7813]

@@oxenford539 It's not about how many of them pay tax. It's about principle. You don't know where the idea of rights going hand in hand with responsibilities comes from? I mean it's common sense but it also has a long history. Also "no taxation without representation". To suggest that someone should be forced to pay tax and yet not allowed to vote, is disgusting. Also, this has nothing to do with sales tax and you knew that seeing as you referred to income tax at the very beginning of your reply

[@johnwilliams-tg5hs]

It's only 16 Yr old that would be daft enough to vote for Labour

[@keifer7813]

You voting for the Tories?

[@leonardeast4971]

NO. They will soon be going to university, not knowing very much, and then leave knowing everything. Just like the current crop of experts.

[@keifer7813]

So you agree then that they should be exempt from tax?

[@REX4340]

Yes, if you're old enough to be a parent, you're old enough to vote.

[@jakehowie442]

So 14 year old teen mums can vote too? 😂

[@REX4340]

@@jakehowie442 so you think 14 yr olds are old enough to have babies, best you stay away from school gates 🤥

[@Maksimszz]

Most delusional take I'v ever heard. I'v seen young parents have children on accident and regret it miserably. So if they cant keep their legs closed or put it in their pants, how do you expect them to vote to the best of their ability?

[@REX4340]

@@Maksimszz interesting use of the English language, are you intelligent enough to discuss this topic?

[@Maksimszz]

@@REX4340 I'd say I am above average, but its really not about intelligence, and more so knowledge and good decision making. Like you don't need to be a genius to make the right choices in life. The problem is when you are 16, you haven't really yet developed the capacity to think clearly and make good decisions which was my above point.

[@peeg09]

I see both sides but I'm 44...

[@unknown.gone.incognito]

Senile Pensioners

[@amyclarke41]

ok why not ? ax

[@saratreadwell5711]

No some off them still don’t know how to tie there shoelaces …

[@kanedNunable]

and plenty of pensioners cant. your point?

[@Maksimszz]

@@kanedNunable Funny enough the pensioners are the ones which are making all the smart financial choices, its why we have a huge wealth inequality in the UK. So if they cant tie their shoelace they will pay someone else to do it.

[@keifer7813]

Then stop taxing them. Can't have it both ways

[@MattsAttack9]

100%

[@doraceli7527]

Samantha's face looks like Indonesian 😅

[@Pixiedust8399]

What's that got to do with the price of fish?

[@MrGadgie]

16y olds... put a tick in this box get a free iPhone 😂

[@Neil-qf6df]

Anyone over the age of 16 should be able to vote.

[@vernaemery876]

If a 16/17 year old can work, marry and have children. They should be able to vote.

[@mrdemocracy7106]

Ridiculous! Most 16 year olds think 'D-Day' is Daddy's Day and you expect them to vote on a serious issue deciding the fate of the country

[@keifer7813]

​@@mrdemocracy7106So then you agree they shouldn't have to pay tax then?

[@mrdemocracy7106]

Complete joke! Most 16 year olds think 'D-Day' is Daddy's Day

[@RichardForster-gu1ww]

The average adult is not competent to vote, thats how we got the abomination of brexit. The vote should be restricted to people who have a degree in politics, the less people who can vote the better.

[@ThomasGardiner-y4z]

Didnt think you would print the truth fact

[@leswhiting7192]

16 year olds don't pay tax..........

[@Maksimszz]

hahahaha I did as a 17year old when I was working. Unless you are working for your local barber shop which I cannot relate