It is undeniably unfair that some 16-year-olds in the UK do not have the right to vote. In the light of the thousands of people under the age of 18 taking part in recent student protests, it is now clearer than ever that many young people are interested and involved in politics and want to have their voices heard.
But the 18-25 age bracket already has the lowest proportion of active voters. Lowering the age limit may win more votes, but it won’t lead to an increase in political interest among young people, only improved political education in schools and at home can do that.
The 16-18 bracket, along with the 18-25 bracket, is full of voters still developing their ideological standpoint, who are easily swayed by promises which are easily broken. This year’s Lib Dem victory and subsequent fall from grace among the student population demonstrates that all too clearly.
That is, of course, a generalisation, but it is an important one. There are 28-year-olds who are not politically informed enough to “deserve” the right to vote, while some 14-year-olds take full advantage of the political outlet that they do have in the UK Youth Parliament. It is true that it is highly unfair that there are 16 and 17-year-olds who pay tax without representation, but this is also true of younger children who have trust funds for example, or disproportionately high earnings. Nobody is suggesting that the kids from Harry Potter should have been allowed to vote when they were 13 though.
Moreover, the increasing numbers of young people remaining in higher education means that the majority of 16-18-year-olds don’t pay taxes anyway, and won’t for some time. It is perfectly evident, and always has been, that there is no arbitrary age limit that can be placed on democracy.
Even if there was an argument for extending the right to vote to under 18s, why is it being applied to the future university students currently protesting? To lower the voting age in response to education protests alone would be a weak and reactionary thing to do, especially considering how increases in tuition fees may be seen as a welcome thing to many of the taxed potential electorate. Only after proper research and in the interest of democracy should the voting age be lowered to 16, not as a result of one education policy made during a time of economic crisis.