Teenagers offer view on lowering of voting age

Bethany Hand, 18, has mixed feelings about the new voting age

Young people in Hull have reacted to the government's decision to lower the age of voting to 16.

Lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 means there could be over 1.5 million more potential voters at the next general election.

Bethany Hand, 18, said she had mixed feelings about the move, adding that while she felt voting age should be in line with the age for consent, some might be "too immature".

Emma Hardy, MP for Hull West and Haltemprice, said the decision "draws us into line" with Scotland and Wales, where 16-year-olds have been able to vote for a number of years.

Hull West and Haltemprice MP Emma Hardy says the move brings England into line with Scotland and Wales

Hardy said: "To me, it makes sense. They've been able to vote from 16 in Scotland for years. They've been able to vote from 16 in Wales for years, and this draws us into line. It was something that was in our manifesto.

"It's something that I spoke to people about ahead of the election, and I'm really pleased to see that we're fulfilling the promises that we made."

Hardy has also spearheaded the future parliament programme, run by Hull College and the University of Hull. The scheme was launched in 2024 to help increase political awareness and engagement among young people in the city.

Hull has historically had some of the lowest turnouts in the UK at general and local elections.

Bethany Hand, 18, was among those who attended an event at University of Hull on Friday.

She said she had mixed feelings about lowering the age of voting to 16.

"If the age of consent is 16, and they can have that opinion, that choice, then they should also have the choice to vote for their future".

However, she was also concerned that some 16-year-olds would be too immature.

"Some of them might vote [for] the wrong person for a laugh, or parents [or] friends could pressure them into voting for someone," she said.

Oscar Coupe agrees with the decision to bring down the voting age

Oscar Coupe, a university student, said he thought lowering the age limit was the correct decision.

He said: "It's easy to say that 16 and 17 year olds are impressionable… but I think there's plenty of adults who...were also very impressionable."

There is not political support across the parties on lowering the voting age. Reform are against the measure and the Conservative party question why 16-year-olds will be able to vote but not "marry, go to war, or even stand in elections".

Liberal Democrat Sarah Olney, MP for Richmond Park, said her party had campaigned for a lowering of the voting age for "well over 30 years" and so welcomed the decision.

Reform's Richard Tice, MP for Boston and Skegness, said: "We think it's completely wrong that youngsters who are still legally children should be able to vote.

"It's interesting that they themselves are split down the middle as to whether or not they should be given the right to vote."

The next election is due to be held by August 2029 at the latest, as the maximum term for parliament is five years from when it first formed. However, the prime minster has the option of calling an early election if he chooses to.

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