I find young people more engaged with issues and less clouded by tabloid bitterness. Also, this just brings us inline with Wales and Scotland. Not really a kneejerk. if 16-17 year olds could vote the old could never have destroyed the nation’s interests with Brexit.
Anything that shakes the current political system should be welcome. Having a younger democratic will shake things up with all sorts of issues and not just the environment. I can see female rights being significantly enhanced as well as a less rigid and old fashioned approach to gender. There will be much less hostility towards immigration and people will get more engaged with issues such as employment and defence expenditure. The youngsters should be allowed to vote. They are not the ones to worry about. It is the 55 + who have caused the issues. I.e my generation. You are more likely to get a measured and considered reaction from your average 16 /17 year old that your typical gammon. Glad Starmer has confidence in the younger generation. Getting people engaged in politics earlier will generate more informed voters. They can genuinely shape their futures for the first time. My only nagging doubt is thinking that it may produce the next William Hague but probably unlikely as there cannot be anyone under the age of 60 who would seriously give the Conservatives their vote. This is probably the best thing Starmer has done in the last 12 weeks.
The argument that 16-17 year olds aren't "mature" enough doesn't really ring true. My younger cousins are very much aware of what's going on around them (and the world). A 16 year old has the rest of their life to live, whereas someone who is 80 doesn't. It feels fairer to me.
Quite shocked by her appearance on TV. Dianne looks really unwell and it appeared she need support. I hope she is OK.
Maybe I am in a minority, but reading Abbot's comments, I really can't see how it offends. I don't see it as anti Semitic at all. She is just stating the truth, you see a black or Asian person in the street, you don't necessarily see a Jewish person. They will experience prejudice, but it is different. Not better or worse, but different. One of the guys under me at work is Jewish, I have been his boss for 8 months and only found out he was Jewish when he told me. Lol I think he told me when we had a production issue and I said that what we were doing was a bit of a Hail Mary, and he said well I'm Jewish so let's hope for something else. I pointed out that I am an atheist so we have no hope with it working!
I don’t have an issue with the vote at 16, but it needs to go hand in hand with the kids being taught about politics before they are 16. They need to learn the difference between Socialism and Communism and Capitalism etc and they also need to learn what the political parties stand for with examples of how each party thinks. Another positive is that, at that age, they won’t come into contact with right wing newspapers unless they have a paper round.
But, keeping with impartiality, they won't either have come into contact with the left wing ones either
