Thomas Borwick: Votes at 16 Displays a Glaring Policy Gap

Thomas Borwick: Votes at 16 displays a glaring policy gap

Thomas Borwick is Director of College Green Group. We say a 16-year-old can’t get a tattoo because it’s irreversible, but voting shapes lives. Are we being consistent, or just convenient? Labour has now announced the intent to have votes at 16, a manifesto commitment of theirs. The case for giving 16 and 17-year-olds the vote has gained increasing traction in the UK. From youth-led climate marches to the active political engagement of young peop…

Votes at 16 is an important first step, but we must do more to fix voter turnout

Labour has announced that they will be lowering the voting age to 16 by the next general election. This is an amazing step forward for British democracy, and for youth rights in the UK, but we need to do a lot more to maximise the benefits of votes at 16. I’m Haydn Osborne-Brookes, a 16 year old Green Party member, and for the past year I have been the Under 18’s Liberation Group Co-Chair for the Young Greens. I’m hoping to show you that votes a…