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17 Jul 2025

Debate: Will lowering the voting age to 16 have any impact?

Social Affairs Editor and Presenter

What impact will changing the voting age have on the next general election? Could it impact the outcome as well as the turnout?

We spoke to Ealaf Al-Najar, member of UK Youth Parliament for Hammersmith & Fulham, and Jon Tonge, Professor of Politics at Liverpool University, who chaired the Youth Citizenship Commission under Gordon Brown.

Jackie Long: Why is this a good idea?

Ealaf Al-Najar: I mean, lots of people say young people are the future, but they can be the changemakers of today. And there’s no reason why we can’t give young people the vote if they are capable of making that decision and influencing their lives in a positive way.

Jackie Long: And you think they are capable?

Ealaf Al-Najar: 100 percent.

Jackie Long: Professor Tonge, why is this a bad idea?

Jon Tonge: Well, the government doesn’t think that young people are capable of many things. The government has raised the age at which they can buy a lottery ticket. The government doesn t believe they can buy an alcoholic drink, so they wouldn’t be able to celebrate or commiserate on the result of the election in which they just voted. The direction of public policy has been to raise trajectories upwards. The government isn’t planning to introduce, for example, if you want a comparable civic responsibility, jury service for 16-year-olds. So the question begged is, why is the government lowering the voting age when most other ages of responsibility are heading northwards?

Jackie Long: And why do you think they are?

Jon Tonge: Well, I think the government doesn’t really trust young people, except that it wants to give them the vote. So it’s paradoxical. Now people can say, well, you know, in Scotland or Wales, the sky hasn’t fallen in. And it hasn’t. That’s true. It’s perfectly, you now, in one sense, it’s a healthy thing to get young people voting. But the sky wouldn’t fall in if an interested 14 or 15-year-old was allowed to vote. There has to be a cut-off point somewhere. The UK was the first state in the world to lower the voting age from 21 to 18. The rest of the world followed, and it was quite completely the right move to make. Why? Because there was an agreed age of adulthood. The United Nations defines adulthood as beginning at 18. There are reasons why, for example, if you join the military in the UK, you’re not allowed front line service because you’d be classed as a child soldier. So there’s one example.

“I suspect the majority of 16 and 17-year-olds will follow 18 to 24-year-olds and not actually exercise their vote.”
– Jon Tonge

Jackie Long: Let me put some of those points to Ealaf. It is a point very often made in this debate that, you know, the government thinks you shouldn’t be allowed to get married without your parents’ say so. You shouldn’t allow to buy an alcoholic drink. Answer the premise why you should be allowed to vote when you can’t do all of those other things.

Ealaf Al-Najar: I mean, there are numerous other things that young people can do at the age of 16. I mean, there are a numerous decisions you make. For example, your GCSEs, which people say might not impact your future, but they impact where you can apply to university and so many other things. You can pay taxes at the age of 16 if you earn a certain amount. So there are so many things you can actually do. So I think that argument, there’s so many contradictory things you can say towards that. And the main thing we’re campaigning for is standardised political education to accompany the introduction of votes at 16. And with the UK Youth Parliament, we’re aiming to consult educators, teachers, students. Dealing with those between aged 11 to 18, it will serve to facilitate that in an effective response.

Jackie Long: So you think that young people, if they are better educated around politics, more of them will want to vote?

Ealaf Al-Najar: 100 percent, and if introducing votes at 16, you instil that earlier habit, which has proved to ensure a maintenance of that habit, which would be voting for a longer period of time throughout your life.

Jackie Long: I mean, John Tonge, just I suppose as we wouldn’t generalise about any other group, you know, 16-year-olds, 17-year olds, they vary enormously. Some will be interested in politics, others not. But what is the argument against why those who actively want to vote, who can take responsibility for voting, if the others don’t want to and don’t feel they have the capability or the interest, they don’t do it?

Jon Tonge: Well, I mean, we heard some good points there, I agree. And there should be a GCSE politics. One of the problems is that the citizenship education, in terms of its political content, is pretty desultory. So we’d be letting 16 and 17-year-olds go out and vote without any sort of political education.

Jackie Long: But the truth is plenty of adults who go out and vote without any political education or any political nous. You know, we know lots of people vote tribally, don’t they, without even thinking about it, as adults?

Jon Tonge: Of course, and I think in terms of those adult electors, do we take into account, I mean, today’s government paper talks about restoring democracy. Every single UK-wide survey has shown that the majority of people are against this measure. The YouGov survey of Labour’s manifesto found it was the single most unpopular item within that manifesto. Do the votes, do the opinions of 18 to 100-year-olds, who don’t support this measure, do they count and how should that be weighted into the equation here? You know, and I think, you know, they are entitled to a say on this. That’s not to do, we’re not talking about males versus the suffragettes here. All we’re saying is 16 and 17-year-olds should acquire the right to vote once they reach adulthood. That, to me, seems reasonable.

Jackie Long: And just to be clear, I mean, obviously critics are saying this is a bit of manoeuvring by Labour because they need and want and expect the votes. Do you think that’s true?

“Lots of people say young people are the future, but they can be the changemakers of today.”
– Ealaf Al-Najar

Jon Tonge: It’s a dangerous game if it is. The last time the voting age was lowered, and I agreed with that lowering, Labour was out of office within a year. There’s no guarantee at all that 16 and 17-year-olds will vote in a particular way. Their vote is very much up for grabs. If this measure improves political education, if it enhances our democracy, I’d be in favour of it, but I suspect the majority of 16 and 17-year-olds will follow 18 to 24-year-olds and not actually exercise their vote.

Jackie Long: I mean, there is an interesting question, isn’t it? There is so much cynicism among those who are allowed to vote around politics. You know, why don’t young people share that? Or do you think that they do share that, many of them, but it’s just that you and others do want to vote?

Ealaf Al-Najar: I mean, there are already so many young people who are engaged with the political system. For example, take our annual sitting in the House of Commons, for example, through UK Youth Parliament. There are so many people who want to be representative and champion political views. And I think we need to give young people the opportunity to do so. And through giving them the vote, that does give them that chance.

Watch more here:
FactCheck Q&A: government to lower UK voting age to 16
16 and 17-year-olds now able to vote in next general election