MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Voting age lowered to 16 in UK

Polls showed that over 30% of youngsters aged 16 and 17 woul wote Labour

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced Thursday a significant “democracy shake-up” that includes lowering the voting age to 16 for all UK elections, likely starting with the next general election in 2029. This move has been met with accusations of “breathtaking cynicism” from the opposition Conservative party, who argue it is nothing but a partisan attempt to boost Labour's electoral chances, as polls suggest 16- and 17-year-olds are more likely to vote for them.

Beyond the voting age change, the reforms also encompass:

Loosening of Voter ID laws: Voters will now be permitted to use UK-issued bank cards as a form of identification at polling stations. This change aims to address concerns raised by the Electoral Commission, which found that 4% of non-voters in the 2024 General Election (approximately 750,000 people) cited a lack of accepted ID as a reason for not voting.

 A crackdown on foreign donations: New rules will mandate checks on political donations above £500 from unincorporated associations (often used as “shell companies”) to prevent foreign influence in UK politics. The Electoral Commission will also have enhanced powers to impose heavier fines, up to £500,000, for breaches of political finance rules.

 Protection for candidates and campaigners: Punishments for intimidation and harassment of election campaigners will be tightened, and candidates' home addresses will no longer be publicly available to enhance their safety. Electoral Commission research from the 2024 General Election showed that 55% of candidates experienced abuse, with some sources stating that 70% experienced at least one form of abuse or harassment.

 Starmer defends the voting age reduction by arguing that if 16- and 17-year-olds can work and pay taxes, they should have a say in how their money is spent. While the move is seen as benefiting Labour, there is also a recognition that future voting patterns could shift, potentially benefiting other parties like Reform UK, which has seen growing support among younger demographics.

 Hitting back at the move, Tory ex-Cabinet Minister James Cleverly blasted: “The cynicism is breathtaking. ”Are Labour saying: Children should have the right to vote. Or 16 year olds are no longer children? “Either answer opens a can of worms with regards to other rights and responsibilities for 16 and 17 year olds.”

 Shadow Communities Minister Paul Holmes said: “Sixteen-year-olds will be able to vote in an election but not stand as candidates, and they will be able to vote but not permitted to buy a lottery ticket, consume alcohol, marry, or go to war.

Sir Keir said: “I think it’s really important that 16 and 17-year-olds have the vote, because they’re old enough to go out to work, they’re old enough to pay taxes. I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on.“

Polling by Merlin Strategy today found that Labour is the most popular party among 16 and 17-year-olds, on 33 per cent. Reform comes in second on 20 per cent.

Back in the 19th century, only wealthy landowners had the privilege to cast their vote, leaving the working class and women entirely excluded. The game-changing moment came in 1918 when women over 30 who owned property were finally granted the vote, thanks to years of tireless campaigning by suffragettes. Ten years later, in 1928, the age restriction for women was lowered to 21, putting them on an equal footing with men.

Fast forward to 1969, and another major milestone was hit when the voting age for everyone was reduced from 21 to 18, recognising the growing political voice of younger citizens.

 A new digital Voter Authority Certificate will also be created to ensure Electoral Registration Officers can meet the digital needs of voters, reduce printing costs and ensure faster delivery.

 An increasingly automated voter registration system will also make it easier for people to register to vote and reduce the need to fill out their details across different government services on multiple occasions.

 Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner said: “For too long public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline. We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that will ensure more people have the opportunity to engage in UK democracy, supporting our Plan for Change, and delivering on our manifesto commitment to give sixteen year olds the right to vote.”

 “We cannot take our democracy for granted, and by protecting our elections from abuse and boosting participation we will strengthen the foundations of our society for the future.”

 Minister for Democracy, Rushanara Ali, said: “We are modernising our democracy, so that it is fit for the 21st century. By delivering our manifesto commitment to extend the vote to 16 and 17 year olds, we are taking a generational step forward in restoring public trust and boosting engagement in UK democracy, supporting our Plan for Change.

“By reinforcing safeguards against foreign interference, we will strengthen our democratic institutions and protect them for future generations.” Alongside expanding the right to vote, we are going further to restore and maintain public trust by ensuring elections are as accessible as possible for legitimate voters.

Learning from countries such as Australia and Canada, which have high rates of legitimate voter registration via automated systems, the government will bring the UK’s democracy into the 21st century.

 Boosting participation is crucial to restoring faith in democracy, and adding the Veteran ID card last year to the accepted forms of Voter ID was just the start of this. Through the new plans, the government is going further to allow UK-issued bank cards to be used as ID when voting, making it far easier for more voters to meet the requirements.

 The introduction of ‘Know your Donor’ checks will increase scrutiny of donations, requiring recipients to conduct enhanced checks to decrease the risk of illegitimate donations entering our system, guarding against foreign interference. This will close loopholes, reinforce our democracy and protect our citizens from those who seek to undermine and harm our society.

 To deliver these changes, we will bring forward an elections bill. The bill will deliver the Government’s manifesto commitments and wider ambitions set out in this Strategy by putting in place the legislation required for these important reforms.

A subsequent programme of secondary legislation will set out the detail for implementation and we will provide more detail on implementation timings in due course.

 Our strategy for modern and secure elections can be read here: Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections.