Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Voting at 16

Thursday 27 February 2020 · 1 question

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Mike Amesbury asked why 16 and 17-year-olds should not be allowed to vote if they can serve in the military and pay taxes.
  • The government responded that the devolved Administrations have the authority to decide on voting rights within their jurisdictions.
  • The UK Government has no intention of changing the voting age to include 16 and 17-year-olds in England.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mike Amesbury Lab North West Wiltshire
Northern Ireland Democracy & Elections
Context

England and Northern Ireland do not allow voting for those aged 16 to 17, while Wales and Scotland have already enacted such legislation.

Question

If someone can go to war for their country and pay taxes, why should they not be entitled to vote? It is a matter of equality; the north-west has a history of extending voting rights. The question urges the government to do what is right and extend the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds in England and Northern Ireland.

Answer from Michael Gove (The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government)

In the United Kingdom, the devolved Administrations make decisions within their competence but the UK Government has no intention of altering the franchise to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote. The government is focused on priorities such as investing in the NHS, fighting crime, improving education, and levelling up the economy.

Answered

Not addressed: The importance of constitutional changes versus current governmental priorities was not directly addressed.

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