The United Kingdom has announced plans to reduce the voting age from 18 to 16, allowing younger citizens to vote in future general elections.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner confirmed the move on Thursday, saying the government was keeping its promise to include 16 and 17-year-olds in the democratic process.
“Young people already contribute to society by working, paying taxes and serving in the military. It’s only right they can have a say on the issues that affect them,” Rayner posted on her X account.
The change will apply across the UK, making the voting age 16 for all elections, including the general elections. The Labour Party had included the plan in its 2024 election manifesto, following the example already set in Scotland and Wales.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer also backed the decision, saying, “I think it’s really important that 16 and 17-year-olds have the vote, because they are old enough to go out to work, they are old enough to pay taxes.”
The Conservative Party, however, criticised the timing of the announcement. They said the policy would not be properly debated in parliament until September and questioned why it was not shared first in the House of Commons.
In another change to the election process, the government said voters will soon be allowed to use their bank cards as valid ID when casting their ballots.
