Morgan: Voting age should be lowered

Friday, 06, Jun 2008 12:00

Labour backbencher Julie Morgan spent the day in the Commons arguing for the voting age to be lowered from 18 to 16.

"The purpose of the voting age (reduction) bill is straightforward: to reduce the legal voting age to 16 for all public elections across the United Kingdom," she said.

"That is the only way to engage the young people to whom we desperately need to talk as politicians and the only way to send the message that we really care about the issues that affect those people.

"I believe that by involving young people at a younger age we are more likely to involve those in older age groups as well, because people can get into the habit of voting when they are still in schools and institutions.

"The longer young people are denied involvement in the formal democratic process, the less chance there is of engaging them ever."