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

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

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

The blog title sits beside a smiling photograph of Blessing Oppong-Hachem, who authored this blog.

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

The 2023 local elections left young people behind. It's time for things to change. Blog by Oliver Probert Hill, member of the Votes at 16 Youth Action Group. Oliver has brown hair and a sweeping fringe. He has a beard and blue eyes. He's wearing a black t-shirt.

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

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

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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

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

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

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,