26 Jul 2025
Vote-chaser or expansion of democracy? The Government’s announcement that the UK voting age would be lowered from 18 to 16 has been met with mixed reactions nationwide. Sixth former at The Marlborough Science Academy, Scarlett Sanders, takes a look at the implications.
An extra 1.5 million voters could potentially have their say at the next General Election, including those students who are just leaving Year 8 this summer.
First impressions are that this can only be a good thing, giving more young people the chance to have a say about their future, but is that really what this is all about?
We spoke to local politicians and youngsters from across St Albans to gauge their views.
Marlborough student Bethany Knowles, 16, is in favour of the change: “As with everything, there are pros and cons to [lowering the voting age]; from my perspective giving young people the opportunity to be involved in decisions which will affect their lives and futures holds great importance as it enables them to contribute to their society.
“Usually I try to be involved in politics but my opinion gets overlooked as I am not able to vote and make a change, but if young people are able to give their input, their involvement will certainly differ, as I know mine will.
“I can certainly say that, if given the opportunity to vote at my current age [i.e this year], I would. I feel that young people are too involved within politics through the media to sit by and go without sharing their votes.”
Mitul Rajendran, also 16, was less positive: “I think it’s a bad idea. Half of them [current 16-year-olds] wouldn’t even realise that they are able to vote. Even if they declare it across the whole UK, half of 16-year-olds wouldn’t vote.
“It’s just not a very big deal. Maybe when you’re 18 [you care more]. At 16 you’re not experiencing money problems, unless you’re living by yourself. I would vote, though.”
Ivy Sawyer sees the pros and cons of the argument: “I’m not sure [it’s a good idea], because though I would like to get involved politically and have my voice heard, I feel that young people are more susceptible to manipulation and propaganda from certain political parties.
“I already feel involved in politics but I can imagine other people would feel like it’s more important now that they have the opportunity to vote (though I hope the education system will change to support teenagers accessing this information and forming opinions away from social media). I will definitely vote because I consider it very important, but a big reason is also that I would feel compelled to vote to oppose the opinions of my peers that I disagree with.”
Rose Parker, 16, added: “Personally I do not believe it is a good idea, children are far more likely to be easily influenced and at 16-years-old children cannot fully comprehend politics the same way an adult would.
“While I would like to think that I understand politics, I reckon this will force me to become more engaged and aware of current politics in the UK. Although I do not think it is a good idea to allow 16-year-olds to vote, I will be exercising my right to vote in the next General Election to hopefully push a change I would like to see.”
Livvy Gibbs, a Green Party campaigner in St Albans who recently graduated from university, said: “Lowering the voting age is a welcome step forward. At 16 and 17, young people are working, paying taxes, and contributing to society, yet they are excluded from the ballot box.
“If we want to build a culture of lifelong participation, we need to start early. However, this change must also be accompanied by strong and accessible political education. In a country with an ageing population, decisions often tilt towards older voters. Giving younger people a say helps rebalance our democracy, placing power closer to those who will live with its consequences the longest.”
St Albans MP Daisy Cooper is firmly in favour of decreasing the voting age, and not because the Liberal Democrats are seen as something of a young people, she insists.
“Hopefully it will help us, but that’s not the reason for doing it,” she explains.
“I’ve always been a believer that we should have votes at 16 for the fundamental reason that I have met people who are 16 and 64 who still don’t understand politics.
“If we had votes at 16, then you would have young people demanding that they were taught politics in school and they would be set up for life. At the moment some schools do it incredibly well, but some schools do it less well.
“My own experience here in St Albans that we’ve got very engaged, active teachers who like doing all the extracurricular stuff. Many of the schools come into Parliament and do the Parliament Education Days.
“But when we say votes at 16 that means that 12-year-olds today could vote at the next General Election, and when I’m going around schools in St Albans, I’m going to be asking 12, 13, 14 and 15-year-olds, do you understand elections? Because if not, demand that your teacher explains these things to you.
“Get people in from all political parties to explain what our offer is to young people. Explain how the voting system works. Get some work experience with a political party. Because it’s only really when things are taught in school that it sets you up for life.
“I would really like to see this move inspire a whole new generation of young people who actually recognise that politics – and work for politics – is important.”
The political apathy which built up during the Conservatives’ long tenure in power was arguably because people thought they votes didn’t count, but then last year’s General Election showed they could actually make a massive difference, even if the consequences aren’t what everyone would have wished for.
Daisy continues: “If you can be taught algebra at school, if you can be taught science and physics and biology, why can’t you be taught politics? I think it’s patronising to suggest that people are too young to vote at 16, I think it comes down to knowledge, not age, and if there’s a knowledge gap, then flippin’ well teach it.”
Does she think the changes would result in parties chasing the young vote by introducing policies that appeal to teenagers?
“Would it matter if they did? We as a party have always had a lot of policies that I think young people have supported, whether it is voting at 16, financial literacy in schools, access to cheaper bus passes, tackling the climate emergency, reforming the apprenticeship levy so there’s more job opportunities, or having a minimum curriculum in schools so that teachers have the flexibility to be more creative in what people learn.
“I don’t think it’s going to suddenly provoke a whole massive rethink, but if it it does, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. If you look at young people today, there’s something really quite profound that’s gone wrong for their generation.“My grandmother always knew that her children were going to have a better life than her. My parents knew that I was going to have a better life than them. I can’t honestly look young people in the eye and say you’re going to have a better life than me. And that, I think, is a serious challenge to politicians of all parties.
“When young people work hard, they study, they go to college or university, and they come out the other side and they can’t find a job, or they can’t find a job that they enjoy, or they do find a job, but there’s no money left at the end of the month, or they can’t afford to rent, so they’re stuck at home for five or ten years, so they can’t get a partner or build a relationship or start a family – that erodes the building blocks of our society.
“I think to rip those opportunities away from young people or have them eroded is a major problem that all politicians need Daisy continues: “If you can be taught algebra at school, if you can be taught science and physics and biology, why can’t you be taught politics? I think it’s patronising to suggest that people are too young to vote at 16, I think it comes down to knowledge, not age, and if there’s a knowledge gap, then flippin’ well teach it.”
Does she think the changes would result in parties chasing the young vote by introducing policies that appeal to teenagers?
“Would it matter if they did? We as a party have always had a lot of policies that I think young people have supported, whether it is voting at 16, financial literacy in schools, access to cheaper bus passes, tackling the climate emergency, reforming the apprenticeship levy so there’s more job opportunities, or having a minimum curriculum in schools so that teachers have the flexibility to be more creative in what people learn.
“I don’t think it’s going to suddenly provoke a whole massive rethink, but if it it does, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. If you look at young people today, there’s something really quite profound that’s gone wrong for their generation.“My grandmother always knew that her children were going to have a better life than her. My parents knew that I was going to have a better life than them. I can’t honestly look young people in the eye and say you’re going to have a better life than me. And that, I think, is a serious challenge to politicians of all parties.
“When young people work hard, they study, they go to college or university, and they come out the other side and they can’t find a job, or they can’t find a job that they enjoy, or they do find a job, but there’s no money left at the end of the month, or they can’t afford to rent, so they’re stuck at home for five or ten years, so they can’t get a partner or build a relationship or start a family – that erodes the building blocks of our society.
“I think to rip those opportunities away from young people or have them eroded is a major problem that all politicians need to face up to, and if introducing votes at 16 prompts them to do that a bit faster, then so be it.”
Cllr Mike Hobday, deputy leader of SADC Labour Group agrees: “I strongly support votes at 16. Young people will inherit a planet shaped by decisions made over decades – including the environmental damage caused by global warming. They deserve a say in how we act now to protect their future.
“It’s also wrong that there’s a generational imbalance – older residents have a strong voice through voting, while many young people, with just as much at stake, are excluded. Society hasn’t yet struck the right balance between these two equally important aspirations.”
SADC Conservative group leader Cllr Matt Cowley exercises a degree of caution in his response: “I believe that we should be helping young people to take part in politics. I first joined a political party aged 15 and was the youngest Harpenden Town Councillor when I got elected aged 21. Throughout my time in politics I’ve tried to encourage more young people to get involved. And I’ve met lots of very politically engaged 16 and 17 year olds who would welcome the chance to vote in elections.
“But I think we should be cautious in reducing the voting age. Voting has long been associated with the transition to adulthood. You have to be 18 to get married, buy alcohol or a lottery ticket, leave education or stand for election.
“Lowering the voting age should be considered just as robustly as changing any of those other age restrictions.
“I hope that the Government will allow proper debate on this – and I hope that young people know that whether the voting age changes or not, our politics should always listen to their views and their voices.”
Green and Independents group leader Cllr Simon Grover added: “I’ve long supported lowering the voting age to 16. Young people are already contributing to society – they’re in work, paying tax, making decisions about education, caring for family members, and getting involved in their communities. They deserve a say in how those communities are run.
“The Green Party has championed votes at 16 for years. It’s part of our national policy, our manifestos, and our Fair Politics Act.
“We’ve consistently called for the voting age to be lowered and for young people to have the right to stand for election too.
“At our conferences, in Parliament, and on doorsteps, we’ve made the case that democracy works best when it includes the people it affects.
“Giving 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds the vote is a simple, overdue step. It’s not just about fairness – it’s about strengthening our democracy. When we trust young people with responsibility, they rise to it. Let’s give them the vote.”
