The Tories will keep Under 18s disenfranchised for political gain

On the 3rd of November Labour will introduce a bill that was pledged in their manifesto. Giving all citizens 16 years old and over the right to vote.

It could be yet another example of her majesty's opposition setting the policy of this government. But the bill to grant all citizens above 16 the right to vote could be a huge step in the right direction for electoral reform.

Democracy is a system that every political party in this country can agree on. The worst system except all the other forms that have been tried. At its core democracy has many principles but the arguments for Votes at 16 can be found in these principles. Democratic societies believe in egalitarian values, that under the law all of their citizens are equal. In the history of the world there is a significant slogan, no taxation without representation. And whilst I doubt we shall see the repeat of stamp riots and the Boston Tea party the question remains of why 16 and 17 year old Brits don't get a vote when they are forced to pay tax to contribute to our society.

Other things 16 year olds can do include getting married*, having sex, and driving a car. Unless we value drinking alcohol as initiation to being a full paid up member of this nation 16 year olds are working, functioning members of our society, yet have no say in how it's run. 16 year olds pay taxes in national insurance, income and Value added forms. Yet have zero say in how these can be spent, or any other political matter.

Should the bill be rejected, and under 18's staged a violent protest against the result, could we stand and condemn that violence?

The DUP voted against reducing the voting age for the Stormont elections in 2012, and the Tories will not votes for this bill. Whilst I have major ideological differences with the Tory party I do not believe they believe that any citizens should be worth less under the law. But knowing the Tory party as I do I know they care for power more than ideological purity, and the current facts are that young people vote overwhelmingly for the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn.

In 2014 there were 1,534,192 16 and 17 year olds in the UK, around 3% of the voting electorate, and Theresa May and the Tories will not give the franchise to a group of people whom 70% of vote for a Socialist party. It is a sad day for our democracy when the governing party are actively trying to stop citizens from voting because they believe they would vote for the opposition, and it another sign of the growing trend of authoritarian in the Tory party, just days after Chris Heaton-Harris sent a letter asking for a McCarthyite list of lecturers who teach students on Brexit.

The Tory Party will claim they do not believe those under the age of 18 are mature, informed or experienced enough to vote. A line once used by the Tory party in its arguments against Women's suffrage. The People's News has political writers currently unable to vote. Citizens who are more informed than the majority of our population. Yet they are denied a say in the decisions that they inform voters upon due to prejudices against younger people. The day we let a government decide who is and isn't informed enough to vote is a dark day indeed. All taxpaying citizens should vote.

The advantages of letting 16 year olds vote in this practical world are quite significant. In elections across Scotland and Norway, voter turnout is higher among those of 16-18yrs than it is of 18-24yrs. But allowing 16yr olds to vote boosts voter turnout in later life. Allowing political participation earlier in life leads to a more political engaged electorate. Which is core to a functioning democracy. In theory the bill is great for this nation, in practice it also has great merits, but it will be held up by a Tory party who will do anything to cling on to power.

Or will it? The current majority of this government is slim. Even if the DUP vote with the government it only takes 8 Tory rebels to de-rail any legislation. The leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson has stated she is a “fully paid-up member of the ‘votes at 16’ club now”. With 13 Scottish Tory MPs in the house, the bill might just go Corbyn's way should they follow in Davidson's and Scotland's decision.

#JeremyCorbyn #Conservativeparty #2017GeneralElection