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English voters will be soon be younger - 22nd September 2025
Teenagers from the age of 16 will soon be given the right to vote in England. The UK government is attempting to bring democracy up to date, according to a recent statement. It's the first change of its kind since 1969, when the voting age fell to 18.
Like 16 year olds in the Welsh and Scottish nations, English voters will also be able to take part in elections. It'll therefore be exactly the same across the UK.
This young voter was encouraged by the current government's decision.
Florence Blake: "Yeah definitely, cos I feel like when I was 16, I had the like ability to know what was going on in the world. And I wanted to be able to vote when I was 16, so, yeah."
Yet, while the plans are going to be discussed by parliament this autumn, it'll need to be examined in detail. Not every party supports the idea, which means the law may not even be passed. The 'Reform' party leader, Nigel Farage, believes it's the wrong step to take. Of a similar opinion, one Conservative politician described the idea as "confused".
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats fully support the idea of dropping the age. And it's a position which this young woman completely agrees with.
Izzy Mudie: "A lot of young people are more like politically educated, now. And like, I had like political rage at that age, I guess. And like, I was like almost like annoyed that I couldn't vote and couldn't like express my opinion. And like, a lot of older people have different views now - than younger people - and it's like our future. It's not really their future anymore."
At 16 and 17, people can be employed and also be tax payers. For that reason, states the UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, they have a right to decide how their money's spent. The Labour government's aim is to pass this law on the voting age by the next general election, in 2029.
Francesca's now feeling happy for younger generations. Perhaps they'll finally be heard by society and by politicians.
Francesca Rossi: "I think it's like a good opportunity for like younger people to be able to vote. I feel like the younger generation, like, deserves to have their voices heard."
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