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BYC: Votes at 16 is the ‘shot in the arm’ British politics needs, says MP

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Tuesday, 04, Dec 2007 12:00

Earlier today a group of young people from the British Youth Council (BYC) met with Julie Morgan MP for Cardiff North to discuss why lowering the voting age to 16 would be a good idea for British politics.

Ms. Morgan will present a Private Members Bill calling on Parliament to lower the voting age to 16 tomorrow (Wednesday 5th December).

The first reading of the Bill will be accompanied by a supportive Early Day Motion from Julie Morgan advocating that the voting age is lowered to 16.

Ms. Morgan highlighted the inconsistencies of allowing young people to have many responsibilities in British society at 16 but yet denying them political representation: “At 16 young people are able to leave school, take up full-time employment, serve in this country's armed forces and even to marry.

“When we offer to and ask so much of young people, it seems unfair that they are not allowed to help choose the direction which they want the country to take.”

The potential to stimulate young people’s interest in politics by lowering the voting age was also discussed.

Ms Morgan explained that this measure could “motivate young people to participate in the democratic process throughout their lives, providing the shot in the arm it needs with the current woefully low voter turnout."

BYC has been campaigning for votes at 16 for over 10 years and the campaign has tthousands of young supporters.

Stephen (14) who attended the meeting with BYC’s group explained why so many young people want to be able to vote at 16: “With young people having so many responsibilities and many young people paying tax we need to have our voice heard on how we want our government run.

BYC is also part of coalition of youth organisations calling for votes at 16 including The Children’s Rights Alliance of England, the Electoral Reform Society, the National Youth Agency and the United Kingdom Youth Parliament.

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