Northern Ireland's First Minister welcomes intention to lower voting age to 16
Teenagers aged 16 or over can already vote in Holyrood, Senedd and local government elections in Wales and Scotland, but not in UK parliamentary elections.
I welcome the news that the British Government is to introduce votes from the age of 16 for elections.
This is a step forward for democracy and will enable young people to have a say in their future.
I'll now be contacting the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, urging him to…
— Michelle O'Neill (@moneillsf) July 17, 2025
The legislation is not expected to be in place before the next election to the Northern Ireland Assembly and the local government elections in the region in 2027.
Michelle O'Neill described a 'step forward for democracy'.
'I'll now be contacting the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, urging him to ensure that the right to vote at 16 applies to the 2027 Assembly and Council elections in the north,' she said in a post on the social media network X.
SDLP leader Claire Hanna said voting rights should be changed at all levels.
'Enfranchising 16 and 17-year-olds has been a long held SDLP position and we welcome confirmation from the Government today that this will be in place for the next general election,' she said.
'There are many young people in Northern Ireland actively engaged in politics and I know that for generations there has been frustration that they could not play a full role in the democratic process.
'The SDLP believes that these voting rights must stretch beyond general elections and be extended to voting for the Assembly and local councils.
'We will continue to make the case for that at Westminster and push for change to secure voting at all levels for 16 and 17-year-olds.'
There was also a call to ensure the legislation is in place by 2027 from the Alliance Party.
North Antrim MLA Sian Mulholland said: 'We have long-argued that the disenfranchisement of our society's young people is a major democratic deficit here in Northern Ireland.
'However, time is of the essence and we need urgent clarification that it will be a priority to see this implemented in time for the next NI Assembly election in 2027. We cannot afford any further delay.'
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the new legislation is expected to be in place before the next general election in 2029, but not the next Stormont election in 2027.
'Our manifesto commitment to lower the voting age to 16 during this Parliament includes all non-devolved elections across the UK. This includes elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly and local government elections in Northern Ireland,' they said.
'We intend for the franchise change to be in place in good time ahead of the next general election. Our expectation is that this will not be in place for the May 2027 Northern Ireland Assembly and local elections.
'This Bill will include a number of major changes to our electoral system, as well as expanding the franchise, and we need to get these right.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
13 minutes ago
- Sky News
Trump claims Epstein 'stole' Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre from his Mar-a-Lago resort
Donald Trump has claimed billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein "stole" prominent accuser Virginia Giuffre and other young women from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Ms Giuffre became a household name after she sued Prince Andrew for sexual abuse in August 2021 - saying he had sex with her when she was 17 and had been trafficked by his friend Epstein. Prince Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre but has repeatedly denied the claims and has not been charged with any criminal offences. Mr Trump made his remarks about Ms Giuffre as his administration has faced growing pressure in recent weeks, including from within his "MAGA" base, to release files related to Epstein after he promised to do so during his 2024 presidential campaign. The US president was speaking to reporters on Tuesday when he was asked about comments he made over the weekend about a falling-out with Epstein over employees taken from his business. "He took people that worked for me. And I told him, 'Don't do it anymore.' And he did it," Mr Trump told reporters while on board Air Force One as he returned to the US from Scotland. "I said, 'Stay the hell out of here'," the US president added. Pressed about whether any of the employees he referred to were young women, Mr Trump said many of them worked in the spa at Mar-a-Lago. "The answer is yes, they were in the spa," he said. "I told him, I said, 'Listen, we don't want you taking our people, whether it was spa or not spa.' ... And he was fine. And then not too long after that, he did it again." Asked if Ms Giuffre was one of the employees poached by Epstein, the US president replied: "I think she worked at the spa... I think so. I think that was one of the people. He stole her, and by the way, she had no complaints about us, as you know, none whatsoever." 1:09 The White House said in a statement last week that Mr Trump banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago because he was acting like a "creep". Epstein took his own life in a Manhattan prison cell in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. On Tuesday, lawyer's for his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison for recruiting young girls for the financier, said that they are open to her answering more questions from US Congress if she is granted immunity from future prosecution. However a spokeswoman for the House Oversight Committee, which requested the interview with Maxwell, said the panel would not consider granting the immunity she requested. The former British socialite was interviewed inside a Florida courthouse by US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last week. Officials have not publicly disclosed what she said. Mr Blanche had earlier said that Maxwell would be interviewed because of Mr Trump's directive to gather and release any credible evidence about others who may have committed crimes in relation to the Epstein case. Separately, Maxwell's lawyers have urged the Supreme Court to review her conviction, saying she did not receive a fair trial. They also say that one way she would testify "openly and honestly, in public", is in the event of a pardon by Mr Trump, who has told reporters that such a move is within his rights but that he has not been not asked to make it. What had Ms Giuffre said about Mar-a-Lago? Ms Giuffre, who took her own life in April, claimed Maxwell spotted her while she was working as a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago when she was a teenager in 2000. She added that Maxwell hired her as Epstein's masseuse, which led to sexual abuse. She accused Epstein of pressuring her into having sex with powerful men. Why is the Epstein case such a problem for Trump? Rumours have circulated since Epstein's death about who he may have supplied underage girls to and who visited his private island. Some of those rumours quickly spiralled into conspiracy theories, which Mr Trump fanned the flames of during his campaign for a second term. Mr Trump promised to release more Epstein files to the public if he was elected president for a second time - but is now facing a backlash from his voter base after carrying out a complete U-turn on the move.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
All new UK cars will have breathalysers and black box-style recorders under Labour plans to align with the EU
New British cars will follow European laws and be fitted with breathalysers and black box-style recorders, amid claims the move is a political ploy by Labour to reset its post-Brexit relationship with the EU. Sir Keir Starmer 's government argues that differences in car manufacturing between Britain and Europe will lead to higher costs being passed on to the customer. But critics argue such a move shows a desire by Labour to closely align Britain to rules and regulations implemented by Brussels. Labour previously agreed the UK would align with EU plant and animal health rules as part of concessions to form a closer relationship with the union. Now Lord Hendy, Minister of State for the Department for Transport, stated earlier this week in parliament that the government 'takes an explicit presumption in favour of alignment' in regards to how cars are manufactured. He added that the government would be 'considering options for requiring the fitment of the safety technologies mandated by the EU's general safety regulation' and would discuss these with individual manufacturers, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and the National Franchise Dealers Association. Under the EU, new British and European cars followed the same legislation. But following Brexit, Brussels introduced the General Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2), which called for different devices and technology to be pre-installed. These include a breathalyser that prevents the car from starting if the driver fails an alcohol test. Event Data Recorders (EDRs), which can provide information on how fast a car was travelling before an accident, and Driver Drowsiness Warning (DDAW), which can alert a driver if they are becoming sleepy, are also required to be fitted into new vehicles. Northern Ireland follows GSR2 rules as part of the Brexit deal to prevent a hard border with the Republic of Ireland. But differences between new cars made under EU and UK rules could mean customers in Northern Ireland would face higher costs for purchasing a new vehicle from the mainland. Labour is understood to back an 'alignment' of the EU and UK safety laws to stop Northern Irish consumers being treated unfavourably. Car manufacturers are also said to see the advantage of aligning the rules. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders told The Telegraph: 'With the heavily integrated nature of the UK and European automotive sectors, regulatory alignment supports efficient production, keeping costs down for consumers while retaining the widest possible model choice.' But Brexit supporters argue that UK car manufacturers do not need to be led by Brussels and the move is simply an attempt by Labour to woo the EU. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, said: 'This is a game being played out where they keep incrementally moving back towards the European Union.' Mark Francois, chairman of the Conservative European Research Group, added: 'This is still rule-taking from the EU, however you try and dress it up.' Away from the theatre of politics, in-built breathalysers - or 'alcolocks' as they are also known - are actually backed by the majority of motorists as a solution to stopping drink drivers from reoffending. A recent poll by the RAC found 53 per cent of drivers want courts to have the power to order anyone convicted of drink-driving to have alcolock breathalysers installed in their cars. Support for the interventionist approach comes as a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA found 27,000 individuals were convicted of multiple drink-driving offences in the 11 years leading up to July 2024. On the back of this evidence, the RAC is pushing for the Government to take up this method - already in use in other countries including Australia, Belgium and parts of the US - in a bid to reduce drink-driving. Simon Williams, RAC head of policy, said: 'Too many lives are lost and ruined by drink-driving. 'It's also very apparent that many of the drink-drivers caught by the police are reoffenders which implies something different needs to be done to change this dangerous behaviour.' Alcolocks – what are they? Could they become standard? Not everyone will have heard of alcolocks or alcohol-interlocks as they're properly known. Alcolock is actually a brand name – founded in the 70s - but has become the common name for breathalysers fitted to the car's ignition system. Once fitted a driver has to provide an alcohol-free breath sample in order to start the engine – usually blowing for five seconds. If there's little to no alcohol the engine will start. If it exceeds a set level it won't start. There are various options as to how they're mandated and who pays for them: For instance, courts could mandate them for reoffenders only, or anyone convicted of drink-driving. In other countries the fitting is generally paid for by the offender, although in cases of financial hardship the state can step in to cover the cost. However, it's worth noting that the EU introduced new rules in July 2024 requiring all new cars sold in the EU to be 'prepared' to have an alcolock fitted.
ITV News
3 hours ago
- ITV News
Starmer faces pushback for opening door to Palestinian statehood
Sir Keir Starmer is facing pushback after announcing the UK will recognise a Palestinian state if the crisis in Gaza is not brought to an end. The Prime Minister said the UK could take the step of recognising Palestine's statehood in September, ahead of a major UN gathering. The UK will only refrain from doing so if Israel allows more aid into Gaza, stops annexing land in the West Bank, agrees to a ceasefire and signs up to a long-term, peace process over the next two months. Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, must immediately release all remaining Israeli hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and 'accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza', Sir Keir also said. But the PM's announcement rewards 'Hamas's monstrous terrorism', his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed. In a statement on social media site X, Israel's prime minister added: 'Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails.' Donald Trump, who met Sir Keir on Monday and discussed measures to end the starvation faced by Gazans, suggested the pair had not talked about recognising Palestinian statehood. But Mr Trump said he did not mind the PM 'taking a position' on the issue. This was a contrast with his reaction to Emmanuel Macron's announcement that France will recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, which the US president said would make no difference. Other figures within the US administration have taken a harder line on recognising Palestine. US state department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce suggested a UN conference called to discuss recognising a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution was a 'publicity stunt' and called it a 'slap in the face' to the victims of the October 7 attacks. She also suggested that the UK announcement could risk 'rewarding Hamas'. Sir Keir said the Government's 'primary aim' was getting aid into Gaza and getting hostages released when asked why UK recognition of the state of Palestine was conditional. He added he was 'particularly concerned that the very idea of a two-state solution is reducing and feels further away today than it has for many, many years'. While Sir Keir signalled the UK could back away from recognising a Palestinian state if his conditions are met, No 10 is understood to believe that such a two-state solution would also proceed from negotiations towards a sustained peace. The UK and its allies need to see 'at least 500 trucks entering Gaza every day' to deliver aid, the Prime Minister added, and are together 'mounting a major effort to get humanitarian supplies back in' by air and by land. Sir Keir spoke with a series of world leaders throughout Tuesday, including Mr Netanyahu, and King Abdullah II of Jordan, whose nation is leading efforts to airdrop aid into Gaza.
