The Labour Government's BEST Decision so far Must go Further

It is rare for a British government to announce a policy that feels genuinely transformative. Yet Labour’s decision to extend the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds may prove to be one of the few reforms with a chance of recalibrating British democracy for the better. For a country facing voter apathy, polarisation, and chronic institutional fatigue, this is no small thing.

The announcement that the UK government are set to lower the age of voting eligibility to 16 from 18 has come after years of debate. Those against, such as Pseudo-Journalist and Brexiteer Carole Malone, often lean into lazy tropes that young people are too immature to be trusted with the vote or that they are too invested in Tiktok trends to engage in Politics.

Far from being apathetic, young people in the UK have repeatedly demonstrated political engagement when given the chance. In Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum, turnout among 16–17‑year‑olds reached an impressive 75%, outperforming the 54% of 18–24s in general elections. Studies of Austria, where 16‑year‑olds have voted since 2007, similarly show no drop in voting quality or turnout compared to older cohorts (Wagner et al., Electoral Studies). While youth turnout has historically lagged in UK general elections, this reflects a broader malaise: in 2019, fewer than two-thirds of all registered voters participated (Electoral Commission).

Moreover, political literacy is not the preserve of older voters; a 2023 Hansard Society audit found nearly half of UK adults admit they do not understand how Parliament works, while Reuters Institute research ranks the UK poorly for identifying misinformation. If anything, these statistics expose the irony of questioning 16‑year‑olds’ “maturity” in a polity shaped by decades of economically and geopolitically self-defeating choices.

The EU referendum in 2016 also sparked renewed political interest among young people: the share of under‑30s reporting “high” interest in politics rose from 40% to 45%, while certainty of voting jumped from 48% to 71%. Yet political literacy was weak across the electorate: a 2016 YouGov poll found only ~30% of voters could answer basic questions about the EU. Despite this, older voters (65+) overwhelmingly backed Leave (~60%+), while 18–24‑year‑olds overwhelmingly backed Remain (~75%+). Nearly a decade later, regret is widespread: 65% of Britons now believe Brexit was a mistake (euronews). The irony is unavoidable: those questioning the political maturity of 16‑year‑olds are the same cohorts responsible for some of Britain’s most regretted choices.

📉 Disengagement By Design

But let’s be honest: giving someone a vote does not guarantee they will use it...or use it well. Political disengagement in Britain isn’t unique to teenagers. It is systemic, intergenerational, and arguably implemented by design by, and for the economic benefit of, politicians and the aristocracy of the past.

State school pupils, 94 % of the UK’s children, are particularly underserved. Since Michael Gove’s 2014 curriculum reforms, citizenship education has been quietly hollowed out. Today, fewer than a third of state schools offer citizenship classes at all, and 28% offer nothing resembling political education . Meanwhile, elite private schools continue to churn out graduates versed in debating, governance, and the art of political influence. Young people themselves see the gap. A 2021 survey by Stand Out UK found that over 70 % of young people would welcome a Politics GCSE, acknowledging the need for a basic framework to understand how society functions.

Is it any wonder the electorate struggle to politically engage and often end up voting against their own interests to service tax cuts for billionaires and unregulated employment?

🗳️ My Policy Recomendations

Labour’s move to enfranchise 16–17 year olds is a rare and welcome break from Westminster’s drift toward democratic minimalism. But to make this meaningful, their bill must include the following educational reforms that embed political understanding across all ages:

1. A Politics GCSE
Implementing an optional Politics GCSE to be available in every school in the country to ensure every teenager learns how Parliament works, what media literacy entails, and why civic responsibility matters.

2. Funding for debating societies in state schools
Right now, only around 18 % of state schools host debating clubs, compared with near-universal coverage in private institutions. Debate teaches critical thinking and confidence: two prerequisites for active citizenship.

3. Community assemblies
We need civic assemblies, participatory budgeting, citizens’ juries—to give people of all ages a voice beyond election day to exchange ideas and find common grounds on our local and national issues.

4. Widespread civic education for adults
Political literacy shouldn’t stop at 18. A national, government led, programme of free, self-guided educational materials, explaining parliamentary structures, democratic governance, and credible information, must be made available online, via broadcast, in libraries and through adult education centers.

People are not 'Thick'; all they need is a Nudge towards Knowledge.

Handing a vote to 16 and 17 year old Brits is possibly the best decision of the Starmer government so far; but it is clear that as a society, political literacy is a must. My proposals aren't to radicalise people into Marxist Socialists. Instead, they are about vast reforms that are required for people to have the tools to understand our democracy; but most importantly, people need faith in democracy, and especially ours. This is our chance to create a sense of patriotism like never before.