This week, the Government voted on measures that would have given the right to vote in the future referendum on EU Membership to all 16 and 17 year olds.
The proposals, presented to the House of Commons through a House of Lords Amendment, were rejected by the majority of MPs.
YEUK is deeply disappointed that in doing so, Parliament has significantly contributed to the disenfranchisement and disengagement of young people across the UK.
The proposals were rightly subject to rigorous debate, with considered points made on both sides of the argument. However, it is YEUK’s strong conviction that in the face of a growing urgency to reconnect young people to our politics and our Government, affording 16 and 17 year olds the right to have a say in a decision that will have a significant impact on so many areas of their lives, would be a testament to our investment in their futures.
We know that young people are traditionally the least likely to vote in an election, with only 40% of those eligible voters aged between 18-24 turning out to do so. Those over the age of 65 are more than twice as likely to vote. It is easy to argue that this demonstrates a lack of interest or maturity on the part of young people, but YEUK continues to robustly challenge those perceptions; we believe that the evident disengagement is a symptom of a political and economic environment that has failed to invest in young people in successive decades.
We believe that this has a direct link to the urgent challenges facing young people as they transition from education to employment
Our expertise in ensuring that young voices are heard by their schools, future employers and Governments informs our view that young people are ready and eager to shoulder the responsibility for making a political decision. The experience of the Scottish Referendum on Independence demonstrated this with stark clarity: According to the House of Commons Library, the final number of 16 and 17 year olds registered to vote in Scotland as of 18 September 2014 was 109,533; accounting for 2.6% of the total referendum electorate and equivalent to around 89% of all 16- to 17-year-olds resident in Scotland.
YEUK believe it is also the moral duty of the Government to recognise the contribution young people make to society, both voluntarily and through legal obligation, by allowing them to have a say in decisions that will impact their lives as much as older citizens.
We allow 1.5 million 16 and 17 year olds the right to
- consent to sexual relationships
- get married or enter a civil partnership
- become a director of a company
- join the armed forces
Denying young people the vote, undermines our long-held principle of ‘no taxation without representation’; it is a relic of a tired understanding of the role of young people in society.
At YEUK, we will continue to champion the enormous potential of young people; we believe this decision sends a deeply damaging message to those most in need of investment in their future, and strongly urge the Government to reconsider its position.
Laura-Jane Rawlings
Founder and CEO
