Why Are Labour So Desperate To Get The Voting Age Reduced?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35089543
Could it be that they want to benefit from the new left wing suporters churned out by left wing teachers before they grow older and locate some sense?

[jim360]

For the sake of clarification, NJ, I was replying mainly to baz and TTT, to a lesser extent.

For myself I can't see any particularly compelling reasons for lowering the voting age. It's an arbitrary cut-off anyway. May as well tie it in with the normal age at which one is considered legally an adult, as opposed to anywhere else. Nor would it be a disaster to lower the voting age to 16 for that matter -- I just don't see it as particularly an important issue.

[Ellipsis]

It's definitely important, because what's at issue is suffrage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_suffrage : Universal suffrage initially referred to adult male suffrage. It now consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens, though it may also mean extending that right to minors and non-citizens.

Can you imagine a time in the future when they look back at us now, and think how unfair it was that we did not allow children to vote, much as we look back now at the time when women were not allowed the vote (or across now at the places where women are not allowed the vote).

I can imagine it, but only after education standards are improved to the extent where far more children are capable of making an informed rather than childish voting decision. Some children are already more capable than many adults, of course. But if you consider that an adult is usually responsible for a child, then extending the vote to that child is tantamount to giving people with children more votes - and people with many children many more votes.

[New Judge]

"I can imagine it, but only after education standards are improved to the extent where far more children are capable of making an informed rather than childish voting decision."

Quite so. See my earlier point and you will understand why I believe it's not a good idea.

[Baldric]

Nothing to do with me mate,
your comment was not worth the effort.