The Americans during the War of Independence (against Britain, that one) had a catchy slogan: No Taxation without Representation (in parliament). And as a principle, it seems fair enough. But it’s not half so catchy as the contrary: No Representation without Taxation. And this is, in a nutshell why it’s such a rubbish idea to extend the franchise to 16 year olds: far too few of them pay tax.
When they do, it’s wonderful how their mindset changes: my daughter, at 17, was outraged when she found out she’d be charged tax on her earnings in a second-hand clothes shop: “I do not want to pay tax” was her considered view. But given that most 16 year olds are still at school, I’d say not many have a very great stake in the economy.
Yet this is the premise that the Government is trying to get us to accept as it unveiled its proposal, which it promised would help “restore trust in politics through our Plan for Change [no, I don’t know either]… This will mean young people, who already contribute to society by working, paying taxes and serving in the military, will be given the right to vote on the issues that affect them …The plans …. will boost democratic engagement in a changing world, and help to restore trust in UK democracy.” Does that principle go further then? Would it restore trust in UK democracy even more if the voting age were extended to 12 year olds, on the basis you can’t have too much of a good thing? How about babies?
Would it restore trust in UK democracy even more if the voting age were extended to 12 year olds, on the basis you can’t have too much of a good thing? How about babies?
I’m struggling, myself, to see how enfranching those who aren’t grown up enough to stand in elections or marry will help restore trust in UK democracy – for it’s not so long ago, let’s remember, that parliament raised the marriage age, on the basis that children of 16 aren’t mature enough to enter into it. And do not believe that stuff about serving in the military. What you can do at 16 is join an army college in Hereford; you’re not let anywhere near a front line until you’re a regular soldier aged 18. And you can, I suppose, also legally have sex; that hardly seems a qualification for the franchise. It’s a lesson to us all; which of us read the Labour manifesto closely before the election, including that bit of the small print which promised that “We will increase the engagement of young people in our vibrant democracy by giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections.”
Let’s remember that not so long ago parliament raised the marriage age on the basis that children of 16 aren’t mature enough to enter into it
All of the obvious objections to bolstering our vibrant democracy in this way may account for the fact that the Government slipped this on us just before parliament decamped on holiday… No chance for anyone to raise it at PMQs, the last session of which was yesterday. Is it to distract us from the economy taking a downward turn and unemployment going up even before Angela Rayner’s exciting new employment rights kick in? It’s not going to work, I’m afraid, though these are issues that really do affect young people. If National Insurance goes up as do onerous employment rights, the willingness of employers to take on young workers is palpably diminished. Sort that out first, people.
Still, there are some encouraging signs that the young may be less biddable than everyone supposes. My daughter is now 18 but the issue on which she has felt most strongly lately – even more than Gaza – was Rishi Sunak’s plan to – effectively – phase out cigarette smoking for the young. “I would emigrate if I wasn’t allowed to buy cigarettes”, she said. I am not sure there’s consensus on that – though a shocking number of her peers smoke vapes – but a poll conducted for ITV by Merlin Strategy found that almost half of 16 and 17 year olds disapproved of being given the vote.
And the same poll showed that 33% of the young would vote Labour, followed by 20% who'd back Reform, while 18% would vote Green, 12% Liberal Democrats and only 10% said they’d vote Conservative. So, more left-leaning than right, but an interesting level of support for Reform. If you consider that the support base for the anti-immigration Alternative fur Deutschland attracted a significant youth vote in the German elections, it occurs to you that you can’t assume anything, not even that the young can’t be bothered to vote. It’s still a bad idea. But if the Government wants to suck up to the single bloc that does turn out on election day, it should continue to focus on OAPs.
Melanie McDonagh is a columnist at The Standard
