Young and Old agree - votes at 16 is the way forward

Jenny Roberts

Lilly McNaughton

Congress voted to campaign to lower the voting age at sixteen, with support from UNISON members both young and old moving the motion for the STUC Youth Committee.

UNISON member Jenny Roberts pointed out the contradiction that 16 year olds are deemed responsible enough to bring up children and join the military but not cast a ballot. That's a policy that will disenfranchise 1.5 million people at the election in a few weeks time. 16 and 17 year olds are deemed to be careless, carefree and irresponsible

"But you can find people at twenty thirty or forty who are no better" she told congress. After pointing out that most of the arguments heard against giving 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote are the same as those that were used against giving women the franchise, Jenny finished by pointing out that, "We seek to recruit young workers into our organisations who are 16 and 17. We wouldn't tell them that they had no right to vote."

The motion was supported by Retired member Lilly MacNaughton. For Lilly it was simply an issue of fairness "16 and 17 year olds are expected to behave like citizens, it is not fair to deny them the rights of citizens."

The motion was passed by a large majority

top | STUC Index