Blogs and news about lowering the voting age to 16.
Young people should be trusted with the vote at 16 – here’s why
The upsurge in youth activism in recent years has led to more young people getting involved in making change happen, in the best ways that are accessible to them. This can take many forms, from social media campaigns to involving themselves in local politics or even protest. There are a myriad of examples of this
- Published in Blogs, Votes at 16, Voting
Local elections in May required Voter ID: Was it worth it?
For the first time ever, voters were required to present an accepted form of photographic identification before being issued with their ballot paper in local elections in England on 4th May 2023. The new law was first proposed to Parliament by Boris Johnson in 2021. Downing Street said that voter ID was intended to prevent
- Published in Blogs, Votes at 16, Voting
Youth leaders speak at conference on the future of education
Earlier this month I spoke at the Storymakers International Conference, jointly organised by the Leeds Beckett University’s Carnegie School of Education and the OECD as part of the Future of Education and Skills 2030 programme. Also invited was Fayiza Islam, my fellow Member of the Votes at 16 Social Action Group, Youth Parliament, and the
- Published in Blogs, Votes at 16
Reflections from the Votes at 16 Youth Action Group Residential: Liverpool 2023
The votes at 16 youth action group met in Liverpool for its last residential as the current cohort. The weekend event was an opportunity to review the different activities that have taken place since our last residential in February 2023. During the previous residential we made a commitment to explore ways in which we could promote
- Published in Blogs, Votes at 16
The 2023 local elections left young people behind. It’s time for things to change
The 2023 local elections happened in England on 4th May and Northern Ireland on the 18th May. People in many parts of England aged 18 and older had the chance to vote for their local councillors. These elections were crucial in deciding who ran our local councils. Local councils are in control of services like
- Published in Blogs, Votes at 16, Voting
Over three quarters of young Brits demand equal voting rights across the UK
As May’s local elections fast approach, young people and campaigners are calling for an end to the voting postcode lottery in the UK. Currently, the voting age is 16 for local elections in Scotland and Wales, but 18 for England and Northern Ireland. This means that over 1.5million 16-and-17-year-olds in the UK do not have
- Published in News, Press, Votes at 16, Voting
Young people want better political education, votes at 16 and relaxed voter ID rules to improve political engagement
Better political education, lowering the voting age to 16, and relaxed voter ID rules are the three biggest changes that young people want to help them to vote, according to new research from The British Youth Council and The Body Shop. Currently, over 1.5 million 16-and-17-year-olds in the UK do not have a say in
- Published in APPG on Votes at 16, News, Press, Votes at 16, Voting
Votes at 16 Youth Action Group
The Votes at 16 Youth Action Group is a dynamic group of 30 young people who lead and champion the Votes at 16 campaign across the UK. Their three main objectives include; Membership of the Youth Action group happens every year. More details of the next round of recruitment will be made available on the
- Published in Votes at 16
Take our Votes at 16 Survey and help us create our new Manifesto
The British Youth Council are asking young people between the ages of 11 and 25 to share their opinions on what makes voting easier. Why are we conducting this survey? Young people are at the heart of everything we do, and the Votes at 16 campaign is no exception – this campaign is for young
- Published in Votes at 16
Reflecting on Party Conferences 2022
Over the last few weeks if you watched the news, looked on social media or read trending articles you may have been aware that it is political party conference season! This year the British Youth Council attended the Labour party conference in Liverpool and then the Conversative party conference in Birmingham. This is where MPs,
- Published in Blogs, Votes at 16