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Analysis: Why does Starmer want to give 16-year-olds the right to vote in Britain?
2025-07-18 17:08:19 / BOTA
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has decided to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote, rather than just those over 18 as is currently the case. The move has sparked much debate, with some suggesting that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is using the move to gain political support, given his poor poll results a year after his election victory.
On the other hand, Starmer says that this is a promise he made before the 2024 election and it is right for young people to vote, because "if 16- and 17-year-olds can work, pay taxes and register for the army with their parents' consent, then there is no reason why they should not vote."
The measure will be put to Parliament for debate in September, after the summer recess, and aims to make the rules the same across the UK. Currently, in Scotland and Wales, young people over 16 have the right to vote in local elections, while in England this right is only granted to people over 18. For example, in England you can get a driving licence at 17, but you cannot vote or get a tattoo until you are 18.
A key question is whether the inclusion of these young people will give Labour a political advantage in the upcoming election. Traditionally, young people tend to vote more for Labour than for the Conservatives, but this is changing. Polls show that Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK party is gaining support among young people, even on social media platforms such as TikTok. Moreover, if Jeremy Corbyn, a figure very popular with young people under 25, creates an alternative left-wing party, this could reduce support for Labour.
According to expert Luke Tryl, who runs the organisation More in Common, the vote of 16- and 17-year-olds will not change things much at the national level, as they only make up around 2% of the electorate and typically vote less than older age groups. But in some constituencies, where the competition is close, their vote could be very important.
In addition, Prime Minister Starmer has announced other measures to make voting easier, such as postal voting, automatic registration on electoral rolls and stricter limits on party donations over 500 euros, in order to prevent foreign interference, including that of Elon Musk, although the latter was not mentioned directly.
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