Labour want ballot boxes in all schools to let 16-year-olds vote
LABoUR will launch a fresh bid to lower the voting age today by trying to pass a law that would put a polling station in every school.
Under the proposals, all 16- and 17-yearolds would be automatically signed up to the electoral roll.
Fears were raised last night that teachers could influence their pupils’ decisions if ballot boxes were placed in classrooms.
MPs will this morning debate the private member’s bill to change the voting age from 18 to 16 for parliamentary, local elections and referendums put forward by Labour MP Peter Kyle. Ministers oppose the plan, however a growing number of Conservative MPs have said they now support extending the franchise to younger people.
Tory former education minister nicky Morgan and Liberal Democrat norman Lamb are amongst the cross-party backers of Mr Kyle’s bill. According to new figures compiled by the British Youth Council, at least 314 of the 650 MPs in the Commons are now in favour of lowering the voting age.
As well as enfranchising those aged 16 and 17, the bill – which will get its second reading this morning – calls for under-25s to be automatically enrolled on the electoral register and polling stations to be put in schools, colleges and sixth form centres.
Conservatives last night voiced concerns about the proposals and warned that moves to set up special polling stations for youngsters would be unfair.
Andrew Bridgen, Tory MP for north West Leicestershire, said: ‘It is completely inappropriate. There would be more argument for putting polling stations in old people’s homes because they have less mobility.
‘I am not a supporter of votes at 16 and when I have canvassed the opinions of 16- and 17-yearolds in schools in my constituency around two-thirds have thought they should not have the vote until they are 18, and I think that it is very wise of them.’ Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley, added: ‘The whole principle of elections is that it is fair and equal for everybody and they are treated the same.
‘You cannot just pick a category of people and say we will just have a polling station for them. It would not only be strange, it would be unacceptable. Why would you just pick on one group of people?
‘ Would you then have the local WI having their own polling station? ‘Lots of schools are already polling stations at election time.
‘I do not have a problem with a school being a polling station but obviously only on the basis that people go to vote on the same basis as anyone else, not that they have their own special day when they can all be in class and fill in their ballot papers – that would be unacceptable.
‘I don’t support this bill and I trust that it will not get anywhere.’ Ahead of last June’s general election, Theresa May said the Conservatives would not lower the voting age to 16 if they won. ‘ You have to pick a point at which you think it is right for the voting age to be. I continue to think it is right for it to be 18,’ she said.
however, Tory MP Sir Peter Bottomley earlier this year predicted that the franchise would be extended to 16-year- olds before the next general election because of increasing support among fellow Conservatives.
‘It’s a question of when rather than whether it is going to happen,’ the former minister said.
Announcing her support for Mr Kyle’s bill in February, Mrs Morgan said: ‘It is time for us to take the next pragmatic leap forward and get on with votes at 16.’ She added: ‘ Embracing votes at 16 would demonstrate to the next generation that the Conservative Party has something to offer them.
Justine Greening, who left her post as Education Secretary in January, has also said she is open to the idea and urged Mrs May to consider it.
Several Scottish Tory MPs have also publicly supported lowering the voting age. In Scotland, youngsters aged 16 and 17 were allowed to take part in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and vote in holyrood elections. A separate private member’s bill to change the voting age to 16 was debated in the Commons last november, but no vote was held.
Last year the Daily Mail revealed how Labour is using its campaign to lower the voting age to harvest the contact details of thousands of youngsters through videos on social media and an online petition.
A pledge to allow teens of 16 and 17 to vote was included in the party’s manifesto ahead of the last election.
‘Strange and unacceptable’