Green Party

On the day of a Parliamentary vote on whether to lower the voting age in Britain to 16, Green Party spokesperson Adrian Ramsay today urged MPs to be bold and follow Green Party policy and enfranchise a whole generation of young people into civic society.

MPs are due to vote on the Bill that would amend the Representation of the People Act 1983 to reduce the voting age for parliamentary and other elections, including local government elections, to 16.

Cllr Ramsay, who has long campaigned for a lowering of the voting age to 16, said:

"MPs today have the chance to finally allow people from the age of 16 to vote for their political representatives and engage with the electoral process In the eyes of the law, a person at 16 is an adult - they can marry, raise children, work, pay taxes and even go to war, but cannot have their say at the ballot box. This is clearly wrong.

"Young people are interested in politics because they are interested in issues and in making the world a better place. Young people have been instrumental in campaigns against dawn raids on asylum seekers, for an end to the policies that cause global poverty, and against the war in Iraq. It is crucial to creating a vibrant democracy that citizens can engage with the political system from a young age and reducing the voting age to 16 is a key part of this."

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