People aged 16 and 17 will be able to vote in the next general election, after Labour announced a major move to lower the voting age in England and Wales.
Last year’s Labour Party manifesto committed to lowering the UK voting age to 16, in order to ‘increase the engagement of young people in our vibrant democracy’.
Today’s announcement comes alongside other election reforms, including extending voter ID to include bank cards and the introduction of new rules against foreign political interference and abuse of campaigners .
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: ‘We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that will ensure more people have the opportunity to engage in UK democracy, supporting our Plan for Change, and delivering on our manifesto commitment to give 16-year-olds the right to vote.
‘We cannot take our democracy for granted, and by protecting our elections from abuse and boosting participation we will strengthen the foundations of our society for the future.’
When is the next general election?
The next general election is due to take place before August 2029, as the last one took place in July 2024.
However, the Prime Minister is able to call one at any point before that date.
That is currently unlikely, as Labour holds a considerable majority in the House of Commons.
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In Scotland, 16 and 17-year-olds have been able to vote in local and Scottish Parliament elections since 2015.
The voting age is still 18 in most of Europe, though it is 16 in countries including Germany, Belgium and Austria.
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