Campaigning for votes at 16

Voting at sixteen will challenge the chronic disengagement we see day in, day out, in our communities.

Sometimes our attention can get diverted from the kind of politics that matters. Party conference is a place where we get to remind ourselves how politics makes a difference. We get to leave reinvigorated and ready to pound the streets campaigning again. We get to contribute and to debate the direction of our party.

Sometimes the biggest achievements of conference can be those that come straight from the grassroots. That’s why we were really proud when young members at the National Policy Forum in Warwick fought for, and won, votes at sixteen.

We argued that young people across the country had demonstrated in their thousands that the time was right to introduce votes at sixteen and that it was time to step up, and be bold.

All major youth organisations, like the NUS and British Youth Council, are actively campaigning for votes at 16. It's a popular policy which provides the perfect platform for all our work with 16 and 17 year olds. It is the perfect way to show young people that we value their contribution.

Votes at sixteen will bridge the gap between the close of citizenship education in schools, and the current age of enfranchisement. Sixteen year olds now are more informed about politics than they have ever been before. Voting at sixteen will challenge the chronic disengagement we see day in, day out, in our communities.

Let's address the fact that young people are often passionately political, but feel no affinity with political parties. Young people can be found campaigning for a local skate park, or campaigning against cuts in youth services from their Conservative council, but do not see political parties as the vehicle for their concerns to be addressed.

Arguably the most powerful argument for votes at sixteen is that of empowerment. Having a vote will give young people a chance to support Labour's proud record of investment in youth services, schools and in tackling youth unemployment. And it will give them a chance to kick out Tory councils that aren't delivering for them.

The National Policy Forum took the bold decision to support votes at sixteen, and we're now urging annual conference to do the same.

The vote at conference next week is of huge importance. Let's say loud and clear that the Labour Party will accord rights to those who can fight for their country and pay taxes, where others would seek to merely pass judgment and attribute blame.

Vote for votes at sixteen next week. Vote for young people in the party. Vote for that famous dictum 'No taxation without representation'.

You can click here and join our campaign - and send an email to everyone you know telling them to do the same!

Why not join our facebook group?

By clicking here you can access a campaign pack with helpful articles, petitions and surveys to gather support for votes at 16.

Stephanie Peacock is the Labour Party's NEC Youth Representative and Olivia Bailey is Vice-Chair of Young Labour

Comments

Posted by Alex Finnegan on 19 September 2008, 4:57:56 PM

I couldn't agree more. Allowing citizens to vote at 16 may just encourage them to vote again and again in the future. We need to get them while they're young so that voting becomes like second nature. It won't end apathy overnight but it is a good place to start and I hope conference and the Labour party approves it.