2010-02-15 : Britain%u2019s youth give politicians five ways to win them back

Coalition member, The British Youth Council is launching its youth manifesto today, challenging politicians to make five key changes to improve their lives.

Through a General Election Manifesto created by the British Youth Council (BYC),young people in the UK will let MPs and Prospective Parliamentary Candidates
know exactly what they want, and show society they can make their voices heard. 250 young representatives from around the UK debated and voted for these
proposals to be shortlisted from over 600 online submissions, as the most important five actions that the next Parliament must take on their behalf which are
featured in the Manifesto, %u2018Our Parliament, Our Vision%u2019.

As ever, young people are determined to be able to have their say at the heart of democracy. As well as several measures designed to reengage the political world with young people, 16 and 17 year olds should be able to elect MPs whose decisions affect their lives and responsibilities, since they can pay Income Tax; get
married and have consenting sex, and join the armed forces.

You can read the full story here on the BYC website.

2010-02-15 : Votes at 16 Internship: Come and campaign to lower the voting age!

 As part of our campaigning work in the run up to this years general election, the Votes at 16 Coalition is looking to recruit an intern to assist with the co-ordination of the campaign. This is a great opportunity to get a experience working in campaigning, as well as helping us to achieve something you support! If you want to find out more details, and apply, follow this link to the 'Work for an MP' site.

http://www.w4mp.org/html/personnel/jobs/disp_job.asp?ref=23475

2010-02-15 : Co-operative movement joins the Votes at 16 Coalition

Great news, the Cooperative movement have decided to join the Votes at 16 coalition. You will almost certainly have had some contact with the Co-operative, they're the UK's largest democratic organisation, you might have bought shopping from one of their supermarkets, or you might even bank with them. They have over 5 million members across the UK, and today they've they've decided to start supporting lowering the voting age.

Peter Marks, Group Chief Executive of The Co-operative Group said: %u201CIn the past two years over 550,000 young people have voted in UK Youth Parliament elections and a quick glance at any social media website demonstrates that our young people are not short of opinions. %u201CThe Co-operative%u2019s work on community partnerships such as the British Youth Film Academy and StreetGames has shown us that when our young people are provided with supported opportunities they can be truly inspiring.%u201D 

This is a real boost for the campaign, and signals the start of a renewed effort to make sure that Votes at 16 is one of the big issues at this years general election.

2009-06-26 : Youth Citizenship Commission finally reports - Coalition Press Release

NEWS RELEASE   

Embargo: Immediate Release

26^th June 2009

 Don't dither with devolution; just do it!

Votes at 16 Coalition calls for Government action on voting age reform

The Votes at 16 Coalition has responded to today's Government-backed Youth Citizenship Commission report on lowering the voting age.

Coalition spokesperson Tom Burke said:

"Devolving responsibility for the voting age is an unnecessary delay in achieving real change. Our message to Gordon Brown is clear, don't dither with devolution; just do it!

We believe that the voting age should be reduced to 16 in all UK public elections.

The past few months has eroded public trust in politics, especially amongst young people. The Commission's evidence shows that young people overwhelming back Votes at 16. If we want to re-engage young people with political life we need to demonstrate that their views matter at the heart of democracy - the ballot box.

The exclusion of 16 and 17 year-olds from the right to vote cannot be justified. They can leave home, get a job, pay taxes, get married and join the army. Yet, they cannot vote for the Government that sets taxes or sends them to war."

The Youth Citizenship Commission was announced by Gordon Brown upon coming Prime Minister in July 2007 to "lead a consultation with young people on whether the voting age should be lowered to 16%". In May 2009 the Commission released the outcome of its consultation, finding that 66% of respondents backed lowering the voting age to 16.

Currently 16 and 17 year olds are entitled to vote in all three British Crown Dependencies: the Isle of Man lowered the voting age to 16 in 2006 with Jersey and Guernsey following in 2007.

The Welsh Assembly voted in favour of Votes at 16 in 2008. The Scottish Government has introduced legislation for 16 and 17 year olds to vote in new Health Boards.  It is policy of the political parties of Government in Wales and Scotland to support votes at 16.

The Votes at 16 Coalition is calling for the Government to back lowering the voting age to 16 in all UK public elections. The forthcoming Constitutional Renewal Bill will be the ideal opportunity for the Government to introduce voting age reform.

Notes to Editors

1.      The Votes at 16 Coalition is made up of over 40 leading youth organisations, democracy organisations, campaigning groups and charities including the British Youth Council, The Children's Rights Alliance for England, the Electoral Reform Society, the National Youth Agency and the National Union of Students. www.votesat16.org.uk

2.      On 6 February 2008 a debate in the Welsh Assembly showed significant support for Votes at 16. A free vote was held and passed by 44 votes to 4, with 3 abstentions.

3.      On 22 April 2009 The Health Boards (Membership and Elections) (Scotland) Act 2009 received Royal Assent. It allows individuals aged 16 and over to vote in elections for new Scottish Health Boards.

4.      Votes at 16 is party policy for the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, Plaid Cymru, the Scottish National Party, Social Democratic and Labour Party, Sinn Fein and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. The 2008 Labour Party Conference accepted a recommendation of the party's National Policy Forum for votes at 16 be included in the next Labour general election manifesto.

Contacts

Tom Burke, Childrens Rights Alliance England, 07870362025

Other coalition members:

Cathy Thornhill, British Youth Council, 0207 785 6463 / 07809507359

Sam Dimmock, Children's Rights Alliance for England, 020 7278 8222

Ben Rawlings, Electoral Reform Society, 07917247928

Jon Carroll, National Union of Students, 07866 695 010

ENDS

2009-06-10 : Votes at 16 Event (update)

A quick update for anyone looking to come to the BBC event on Votes at 16 this Saturday, we can now reveal that actress Melissa Suffield, who plays Lucy Beale in TV's EastEnders, will be interviewing young people on why they want the voting age changed.

As before, if you're interested in coming along, e-mail the BBC at getyourvote@bbc.co.uk, and you can also access their brand new facebook website here.

Make sure you let your friends know, and lets make sure there's plenty of support for the event!

2009-06-08 : Votes at 16 Event this Saturday!

2009-06-03 : Gordon Brown confirms support for Votes at 16

Gordon Brown has restated his commitment to Votes at 16 in a BBC interview on the Andrew Marr Show.

Most of the discussion was (surprise surprise) about MPs expenses - but in talking about how he wanted to solve the problems, Prime Mnister Gordon Brown twice restated his commitment to Votes at 16.

The Prime Minister admitted that "major constitutional reform is necessary" and that, as part of a response to the current scandals about MPs expenses but also to improve democracy for good, he proposed "a new consititutional settlement." Explaining more precisely what that means, Gordon Brown said "I'm looking at the case for Votes at 16... We're proposing Votes at 16 as an issue that young people should look at themsleves."

We welcome the fact that Votes at 16 is a priority in the Prime Minister's thoughts, and a clear part of any constitutional settlement. However, young people have looked at the case for Votes at 16 themselves - and overwhelmingly said yes! The great majority of young people have long supported lowering the voting age to 16, and the submissions to the Youth Citizenship Commission and the young people's consultation showed this very clearly. 

It seems, then, that the Prime Minister is convinced about Votes at 16 - after all, giving young people a say is a key part of fulfilling his commitment that "Parliament has to be more accountable to the people". We know we've shown how the vast majority of young people want to see Votes at 16 happen, but if we can keep on demonstrating it over the next few months we've got a real chance to make sure the politicians live up to their promises and make Votes at 16 a reality. Play your part in making history today!

2009-05-13 : MPs call for Votes at 16

Jo Swinson, the youngest Member of the House of Commons, is leading a new call from MPs to lower the voting age to 16.

Yesterday, Tuesday 12th May, was the 40th anniversary of the voting age being lowered to 18. To commemorate this and in light of the latest evidence showing popular support for Votes at 16, Jo is leading a new call in Parliament for the voting age to be lowered to 16.

"Young people aged 16 and 17 often have a lot of responsibilities, and are increasingly asked to make many big life decisions at that age. I meet many 16 and 17 year olds in East Dunbartonshire, and they are thoughtful, responsible people who are perfectly capable of making an informed decision about who they believe should govern the country," Jo said. "It is unfortunate that young people in this country often feel that society has quite a negative attitude towards them, and that has to change. I believe the best way to ensure that young people are valued and their views are taken into account is to directly engage them in the process of running our communities. I trust young people to make responsible decisions for our future, which is why I am calling on the government to lower the voting age to 16."

Ben Rawlings, Spokesperson for the Votes at 16 Coalition, said "40 years ago the UK recognised that society had changed and 18, 19 and 20 year olds should have the vote. When we lowered the voting age to 18 many other countries followed us and we were world leaders in democracy. As Votes at 16 becomes a reality in Europe and in British waters, we have the opportunity to play that role again by recognising that 16 year olds want the vote, and have the right and the capability to play their part as citizens in a stronger, healthier British democracy."

Jo, supported by MPs from a range of political parties, has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) calling on Parliament to lower the voting age to 16. The text of the EDM and the names of those signing up to it can be found here. Votes at 16 supporters can help the campaign by writing to their MP and asking them to sign - you can find out who your MP is and how to get in touch with them here.

2009-04-17 : New evidence finds majority in favour of Votes of 16

The Youth Citizenship Commission has today published evidence that two-thirds of respondents to its consultation back Votes at 16

The consultation ran from November 2008 - January 2009, with the government-backed Commission receiving 488 responses. Of this 66% backed lowering the voting age to 16 and the majority backed lowering the voting age to 16 in all UK elections.

Today's news demonstrates yet again the high level of support for Votes at 16. The Government should listen loud and clear: Britain wants Votes at 16. The time is right for voting age reform; the time for action is now!

We want to thank everyone who put time and effort into responding. All of us should feel very pleased with the results - your input and submissions have made a real difference to the Commission's deliberations! The Commission will be releasing their final report in June this year.

The Youth Citizenship Commission is headed by Prof. Jonathan Tonge of Liverpool University, and was launched by the Government to deliver Gordon Brown's pledge to investigate the case for lowering the voting age. As well as leading the consultation on the voting age, it is examining ways of developing young people's understanding of citizenship and increasing their participation in politics.

The summary of responses is online here

2009-03-18 : 16 and 17 year olds to vote in Scotland

In a UK first, 16 and 17 year olds will be able to vote in elections to new Health Boards across Scotland.

New legislation - passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament last week - will see elected Health Boards established across Scotland, for the first time allowing members of the public to be directly elected to oversee the work of local health services. These new elections are the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament, which chose to enfranchise 16 and 17 year olds. The Scottish Parliament also backs Votes at 16 for all elections in Scotland - but the power to implement this decision is retained by Westminster.

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon MSP said:
"Elected health boards will give power back to local people. They represent a major boost for democracy and accountability. These elections will have the added bonus of giving 16 and 17 year-olds their first taste of the democratic process which I hope will show them that their opinions do matter and can help shape public services."

Votes at 16 Coalition Spokesperson Ben Rawlings said:
"There has been a strong support for Votes at 16 across Scotland, and the Scottish Parliament has been a longstanding supporter of the campaign to enfranchise 16 and 17 year olds. We are very pleased that MSPs have actually delivered on this promise now they have had the power to - and we call upon the Government at Westminster to respect the Scottish Parliament's democratic decision and allow them to implement Votes at 16 for all elections across Scotland."

2009-03-04 : Votes at 16 one of the top issues for Justice

The consultation on lowering the voting age was one of the most popular of all the consultations run by the Ministry of Justice in the last year - despite having no extra investment to encourage people to respond.

In the response to a Parliamentary Question published today, it was revealed that 500 responses were received by the Youth Citizenship Commission's consultation - making it the third most popular, more than twice as many responses as the fourth-placed consultation. While some of these submissions will have come from organisations, the majority will have come from young people themselves making their voices heard. The two most popular consultations - and some of the less popular ones - had extra money spent on them to reach out to more people. The voting age consultation had only the standard consultation investment, with no extra money to seek out people's views, making the number of responses even more impressive.

The Votes at 16 Coalition would like to thank everyone who made the effort to get their views across - we really think it will have made a difference! But the work isn't over - we still need to show the Youth Citizenship Commission and the Government how important Votes at 16 is, and how many people support it. Take a look at our Take Action page to find out what you can do to help us make Votes at 16 a reality.

2009-02-25 : Reading Council backs Votes at 16

Reading Borough Council has formally registered its support for lowering the voting age to 16, after Members of the Youth Parliament (MYPs) made the case for Votes at 16. Will your local council do the same?

Olatunde Seya, Reading MYP, and his deputy Lavan Raj Mohan, put thir case for lowering the voting age to the council's Cabinet - the decision-making committee of senior councillors - and called on them to support Reading Youth Cabinet's campaign.

The cabinet agreed and, although the deadline for submissions to the Youth Citizenship Commission has passed, the council agreed to formally register its position in favour of Votes at 16 with the Commission.

The Youth Citizenship Commission has consulted on lowering the voting age, and is due to report to the Government this spring. Now we need to show how much support there is for Votes at 16 - and getting youth councils and local councils on board is a great way of doing that. Reading Borough Council is now the sixth council we know of that officially supports the campaign - does your council? Why not write to the Leader of your council and ask if they will support it, or if you can present the case for Votes at 16 at a council meeting? Or get your local youth council and school council to pass a motion in favour of Votes at 16?

Keep an eye on the website for more campaign ideas and resources - and let us know what your council / youth council / school council's position is!

2009-02-25 : Now the talking is over, it's time for action!

The Youth Citizenship Commission's consultation on the voting age has closed, and the Commission will be evaluating and discussing all the evidence before they report to the Government in the spring. The Votes at 16 Coalition, and many of its member organisations, submitted evidence to the Commission. You can read these submissions using the links below.

Thank you to all of you who sent in your views and opinions, and encouraged others to do so. We hope it will have really made a difference. We won't just be waiting for the Commission to decide what their recommendations will be - we'll keep on lobbying and campaigning for 16 and 17 year olds right to vote! 

Lowering the voting age has been debated many times, and there have been a number of inquiries and commissions looking at the issue. The case for Votes at 16 has been made. It is a reality in Europe and in British waters. It's supported by thousands of young people and people of all ages; by politicians of all parties and the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament; by all the leading youth and democracy organisations. We've had the debate about Votes at 16. We've heard the case. We've seen the evidence. Now it's time to make it happen.

Submissions to the Youth Citizenship Commission consultation on the voting age:

Votes at 16 Coalition response
16 for 16

2009-01-16 : Time is running out to make history!

The Youth Citizenship Commission will report to Government in the spring, but their consultation ends on the 20th of January. Please tell them you want Votes at 16 - every message of support will make a difference, no matter how short. You can fill in their survey here, or just send them a short message here. If you need some inspiration, have a look at our booklet 16 for 16: 16 Reasons for Votes at 16.

2008-12-16 : 3 out of 4 young people tell Commission: we want Votes at 16!

A recent HeadsUp forum brought eight members of the Youth Citizenship Commission together with hundreds of young people to discuss citizenship - and were told in no uncertain terms that the voting age should be lowered to 16.

The online debate was part of the Youth Citizenship Commission's consultation on youth participation, citizenship and the voting age, and will feed directly into the Commission's report to the Prime Minister in spring 2009. The debate was the most popular that HeadsUp has ever run, and a majority of 3 to 1 of the young people involved supported lowering the voting age to 16, and thought this might encourage young people to engage with politics.

Download the full report here

2008-10-30 : No such thing as binge voting

"Young people have already proved they should be allowed to vote at 16", says Emily Beardsmore, Chair of the British Youth Council

Why should we give young people the right to vote at 16? Surely if we believed most of the headlines they are just hanging around moodily on street corners, carrying knives and not caring about the future of this country?

Or are you, like me, annoyed by this negative stereotype that has gone too far? Do you too think that the majority of young people are "ordinary" and achieving members of the public, people who do well at school and college, work hard and pay taxes, are young parents, young carers, join the armed forces and who are likely to volunteer in their local community? For me the issue of votes at 16 is fundamentally about challenging the way that our society views young people, it's about ensuring that we are treated as equals.

Read Emily's article in full at the Guardian's Comment is Free

2008-10-29 : "Act now, make history" as consultation on voting age is launched

The Votes at 16 Coalition is issuing a call to action for everyone who supports the lowering of the voting age to respond to a new Youth Citizenship Commission consultation and make their views known.

Over the last year the momentum for Votes at 16 has become almost unstoppable - it's a reality in Europe and in the British Isles; the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament have overwhelmingly backed it; and it's become Labour Party policy.

We know the vast majority of young people want Votes at 16, and there is a huge amount of support across civil society. But we need to make sure the Youth Citizenship Commission knows it too.

We're calling on everyone who supports Votes at 16 - school councils, youth councils, individuals of all ages and all organisations with an interest in young people, democracy or equality - to respond to the consultation and get their views heard. If we act now, we really can make history.

You can learn more about the consultation at: http://www.ycc.uk.net/votes/
Deadline for responses is 20 January 2009

2008-10-20 : 16 and 17 year-olds vote in Jersey

16 and 17 year olds are today (15 October 2008) able to vote in the elections for Senator and Connstables in the States of Jersey. An estimated 2000 more people will be enfranchised.

In July 2007 the Crown dependency agreed 25 votes in favour to 21 against to lower the voting age on the island from 18 to 16 from the 2008 elections. Today's elections will see 16 and 17 year olds voting for 29 deputies, who are elected for a three-year term, and for a third of the 12 senators who are elected for a six-year term.

We are asking all supporters to email their MP and ask them to sign Early Day Motion (EDM) 2198, tabled by Stephen Williams MP an ongoing supporter of the campaign in Parliament. An EDM is a bit like a petition for MPs which shows that they are interested in an issue.

You can read this EDM at:

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=36548&SESSION=891

To sign up takes just five minutes:

Visit: http://www.writetothem.com/ and type in your postcode.
Click on your MPs name under Member of Parliament and send them a brief email asking them to sign up to EDM 2198.

2008-08-01 : Labour gets closer to Votes at 16

The Labour Party has taken the first step to officially endorsing Votes at 16.

At its recent National Policy Forum, Young Labour received support for lowering the voting age. The proposal will now be taken to vote at the Labour Party Conference in September. If successful, the policy will form part of the next Labour Party manifesto and significantly raise the pressure on the Government to take action now. In backing reform they would join all of the major youth-led organisations, a wide cross section of civic society organisations, the National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish Parliament and thousands of young people. Other supporters include the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, the Green Party, Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party, Sinn Fein, Social Democratic and Labour Party and Plaid Cymru.

Ben Rawlings, Spokesperson for the Votes at 16 Coalition, said "We welcome this move to bring the Labour Party in line with the huge and growing consensus across society and the political spectrum in favour of Votes at 16. The support of Young Labour and the National Policy Forum brings us another step closer to achieving this long overdue reform."

Olivia Bailey, Vice Chair of Young Labour and proposer of the amendment said about the vote; "Young Labour has listened to the excellent campaigns organised by the British Youth Council, UK Youth Parliament, the Votes at 16 Coalition and other youth organisations - Young Labour was keen to spear head this within the Labour Party."

Young Labour are calling on supportive Labour party members to join the 'Winning votes at 16' campaign page online at http://votesatsixteen.labourspace.com.

The Votes at 16 Coalition will be holding an event at the Labour party conference to raise awareness of the issue.

2008-08-01 : Julie Morgan MP

Julie Morgan MP takes Votes at 16 to Westminster

There was a lot happening on Votes at 16 last week, most of it focussed round MP Julie Morgan's Private Members Bill* on Votes at 16.

It was launched last Wednesday at a fantastic meeting in Parliament, attended by young people form across the country, and chaired by MPs from all parties.

The bill itself was debated on the Friday in the House of Commons, and although there weren't enough MPs there to actually make a decision on it, it was a good opportunity for the campaign to make the case for votes at 16 in public, and got lots of people in and around Westminster looking at the issue. It also got plenty of coverage in local newspapers, the BBC website and on the radio.

This is a great start to a new phase of the campaign, and one we need your help more than ever. The government is now actively considering lowering the voting age as part of its Youth Citizenship Commission. We need to generate as much noise about this campaign as possible!

There are several things you can do:

• If you're part of a youth or school council, we want you to pass a motion saying that you're in support. Don't forget to let us know about it if you do, and if you want any help just get in touch.
• Write to your MP! We want as many MPs as possible to get letters from you saying why you want to be able to vote, the more the better. Writing to MPs is really easy and it makes a huge impact on the campaign! Remember, you don't need to be under 18 to argue for Votes at 16. Men argued for women to get the vote, rich people argued for poor people to get the vote - we need everyone to campaign for Votes at 16!
• And finally, keep talking about votes at 16 to your friends, your teachers, anyone. The more people are aware of the campaign, the better!

*Private Members Bill? What's that then? Find out here.

2008-08-01 : Votes at 16 in Scotland

It seems the media can't get enough of Votes at 16 at the moment, yesterday the Scottish National Party were nice enough to stir up a bit of a news frenzy by demanding the power to lower the voting age in Scotland (which only Westminster can do currently). Check the stories in Scotland's most prominent national newspapers the Scotsman and the Herald:

• The Scotsman
• The Herald