Should the voting age in the UK be lowered? Contents page Executive summary, Context & Purpose Main findings Conclusion References The aim of this report was to answer the question Should the voting age in the UK be Lowered, using arguments from both sides the debate I will be required to answer this question, there were numerous problems that plague both sides, from the disregard of the young people's opinions by the elders to the push back from those like John McMahon who try and let the young voices be heard in votes. Using the correlation between how those of 16 are able and willing to join the army, move away from home marry and have coitus with consenting partners if they themselves consent also this report tried to find what was stopping these same young people from also utilising their democratic right to vote however the answer was not forthcoming due to the nature of the subject. Ever since the lowering of the age of majority in 1970 from 21 to 18 there has been a question of whether there is any grounding when concerning who can be considered ‘Adult’. This is no truer than it is now, with questions floating back and forth on whether to consider lowering the age to vote from the current 18 (the age of majority) to 16, however there has been significant countering of this due to the majority of those who are older and thus have the life experience of and knowledge to make these life changing decisions stating that these ‘children’ (those who are 16 and thus not seen by the law as adults) would not have the mental acuity or life experience to make these decisions that have a lasting impact on all. This report will go into whether the voting age should be lowered by utilising research and information found form sources in order to truly understand both sides of this debate. By utilising the age of consent which is 16 these ‘children’ are given great freedom in their choice of whether co have coitus with their consenting partner and yet despite that fact they are disallowed from voting due to not being ‘adult’. John McMahon Member of Parliament for labour and MP for Oldham west and Royton has been pushing a proposal to not only lower the voting age down to 16 but also to push for political education to be taught in schools so as to eliminate the main complaint the older generation has against the voting age change by giving young adults the knowledge and even passed down experience form those teacher to choose and know that they are voting for and thus prepare them better for the eventual votes they undertake. “The young people that I come in to contact with understand issues and they get behind campaigns” (McMahon http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/41838136/the-case-for-the-voting-age-to-be-lowered-to-16) and despite the backing of the leader fo the labour party Jeremy Corbyn they faced opposition in the house of commons when the then Prime Minister Theresa May countered their argument with a statement of her own "I continue to think it is right for it to be 18." (PM Theresa May http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/41838136/the-case-for-the-voting-age-to-be-lowered-to-16), within the EU the only nation that allows voting at the age 16, closer to home however is the fact that at 16 you can vote (if you are a resident and live in Scotland and are a citizen of the Commonwealth or the United Kingdom) you can vote in Scottish parliamentary elections and following this the Welsh assembly is looking to do the same. Despite claims to the contrary there is something needed for a 16-17-year-old to be able to join the army and to marry, their parents' permission. The labour party has claimed that due to the fact that 16-17 year olds can join the army, marry and move way form home and work they do not go not much detail as to what it takes for them to do so, someone under the age of 18 cannot work full time (in England however the other home nations allow it) and this does a lot in the eyes of most people who are of the required voting age and of decent life experience to write off those who are under the age of 18 for having little to no life experience or knowledge of the political landscape in the UK. There is a problem in the UK that has a chance of making politics uninteresting for the you8nger generation and this doesn’t help the younger generation as they see it as what it is: boring and this has a knock on effect with some people even when they turn 18 not bothering to vote due to lack of Interest or care. The Voting age in the UK is an emotionally charged subject and there is a wealth of debates and arguments across the UK as to whether the age should be lowered or to remain as is, there is not true answer to the question above because despite people's feelings there are equal arguments for and against this subject however were you to want my opinion (which you may not) I personally believe that the age should remain the same until the recommendations below are either catered for or that some way for young people to gain political knowledge to base their decisions on . The broader problems of this subject such as but not limited to: Lack of knowledge Lack of life experience Not mentally prepared Not given the education needed to make such important decisions Lack of interest it is recommended that in order to be easily rectified correct steps need followed for instance if you were to want to correct the lack of knowledge and not being mentally prepared, you would need to have schools educate young people in these areas, life experience will come in time and thus can only be helped by those with the experience passing it on to the next generation, aiding a lack of interest could mean just making politics more interesting so as to catch people's Attention and help then in understanding the severity of their future decisions and to ease them into politics to ensure they would vote and have the knowledge to make educated decisions. References PM Theresa May http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/41838136/the-case-for-the-voting-age-to-be-lowered-to-16 McMahon http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/41838136/the-case-for-the-voting-age-to-be-lowered-to-16