21 seems ridiculously old. Who would want to extend the age someone's considered a child and dependent? Then you would end up with people trapped longer and longer in eternal limbo like in America, not exactly healthy.

There's a theoretical argument for lowering it to the age of criminal responsibility (which I believe is 10 or 11?) but it's obviously way, way off. I don't see a problem with it being 16.

I think that age should be raised and the voting age dropped.

Why 14 for voting?

I had a good grasp of politics by then, and I think with unbiased civic classes most pwoplw that age could do too.

I think that age should be raised and the voting age dropped.

Why 14 for voting?

I had a good grasp of politics by then, and I think with unbiased civic classes most pwoplw that age could do too.

Call me cynical if you like, but I suspect Labour wouldn't be pressing for votes for 16yo's if they thought thy'd gain no advantage from it...

Well, no shit.

The Conservatives will seek to block it for precisely the opposite reason, no matter the arguments for and against, both sides will be set because of what they stand to lose or gain.

At least teenagers aren't braiwnashed by the Murdoch press.

In that aspect, their votes are less indoctrinated anyway.

Yeah, Tories SHOULD support it, but politics is corrupt af right now, all about money and the Tories trying to stay on indefinitely as a One Party State.

The second point, that teenagers are inexperienced in life is a better point. However, some teenagers have to support themselves and consider financial responsibility, more than some adults. It's also a very good time to introduce them to politics and encourage them to start thinking about what they think is best for the country, thinking for themselves, learning how to disseminate the news, making it matter to them. Go through a couple of years of being politically aware but not being able to partake and the risk of apathy forever is much greater.

At least teenagers aren't braiwnashed by the Murdoch press.

In that aspect, their votes are less indoctrinated anyway.

Yeah, Tories SHOULD support it, but politics is corrupt af right now, all about money and the Tories trying to stay on indefinitely as a One Party State.

citation please

Age groups aren't a factor in indoctrination, and you're just opening yourself right up to Vidcapper saying that the other side brainwashes as well. I mean, doesn't everyone know the intelligent teenagers go to the left because it's so obviously correct and anyone who goes to the right is a heartless moron?

In fact, what we need to do is not turn this into a left-right thing and give these prospective people the impression that politics is inherently polarised. Because it's not. It shouldn't be. It's far more nuanced than the evil Tories tosh you're spouting, however evil they may actually be.

There has always been a discrepancy between the votes of the over-65s and the under-25s, but that difference is now extraordinarily large. Isn't that something all parties should be concerned about?

citation please

Age groups aren't a factor in indoctrination, and you're just opening yourself right up to Vidcapper saying that the other side brainwashes as well. I mean, doesn't everyone know the intelligent teenagers go to the left because it's so obviously correct and anyone who goes to the right is a heartless moron?

In fact, what we need to do is not turn this into a left-right thing and give these prospective people the impression that politics is inherently polarised. Because it's not. It shouldn't be. It's far more nuanced than the evil Tories tosh you're spouting, however evil they may actually be.

I also don't necessarily disagree with your last point but I also don't think that the Tories trying to stay in power is a corrupt move, it's sensible for them. Would you, in power, sign off on a move that has a not insignificant chance of kicking you out of power?

Check the studies. The youth do not consume the Murdoch print media like the older generations. Murdoch's print empire is failing, and the Sun and Daily Mail are always bleating on about millennials because of that (and because we don't trust a word printed by them). The only consumption is passive headline reading, but with falling circulation, that's not a large factor; the BBC always reports on the right wing papers to disseminate them, however. It does NOT offer a fair counterbalance by ever mentioning that there are more right-wing owned papers, or by reporting on smaller, left wing papers, of course. So what I'm saying is teenagers not being affected by this brainwashing, as much, and because the left is actually morally superior, let's not deny it here, then teenagers are not going to flock to the right.

According to a study published this week by The Gild, today’s 14- and 15-year-olds are more socially conservative than the generations above them. By a distance, too. In the study, people of various ages were asked to describe their views on a range of social issues, ranging from illegal drug use to tattoos. More than 80 per cent of both Generation Y (born 1980-2000) and Generation X (born 1965-1979) described their views as either “quite liberal” or “very liberal”. Yet the majority of teenagers from the new Generation Z – 59 per cent – described their views as “conservative”.

Check the studies. The youth do not consume the Murdoch print media like the older generations. Murdoch's print empire is failing, and the Sun and Daily Mail are always bleating on about millennials because of that (and because we don't trust a word printed by them). The only consumption is passive headline reading, but with falling circulation, that's not a large factor; the BBC always reports on the right wing papers to disseminate them, however. It does NOT offer a fair counterbalance by ever mentioning that there are more right-wing owned papers, or by reporting on smaller, left wing papers, of course. So what I'm saying is teenagers not being affected by this brainwashing, as much, and because the left is actually morally superior

It would help if the Tories even BOTHERED to make a manifesto that isn't just simpering sound bites for the press with 0 figures and stuff like 'fox hunting!' 'rich people!' 'yeah!' It's like a page taken out from the right wing oligarch's playbook.

Interesting article in the Guardian...

Teenagers’ brains not ready for GCSEs, says neuroscientist

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/may/...-neuroscientist

*****************

Not ready for exams at 16, but ready to *vote* at 16, or so some people claim...

I would argue 60 years of examples of teens passing GCSE's kind of refutes any claims to the contrary by one man flogging a book.

But hey good of you to suggest it as an excuse to discredit and suggest they dont get the vote at 16. Almost as if you're afraid of something.....