Latest news with #votingrights
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Britain to lower voting age to 16, sparking debate among lawmakers
On Thursday, the British government, led by the Labour Party, announced major changes to its electoral system, most notably plans to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 before the next general election in 2029. Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the reform, arguing that people who 'pay in' to the political system deserve to cast their vote and have a voice in how their money is spent. The electoral overhaul goes beyond lowering age requirements. The proposed changes include allowing bank cards to be used as voter ID and increased rules on political donations. However, these changes still need to be approved by Parliament before becoming law, according to The Associated Press. This reform fulfills a key campaign promise made by Labour before their July 2024 election victory, when they pledged to expand voting rights to younger citizens, per the AP. Global context The U.K. isn't alone in wanting to shift to a lower voter age. Last year, European Union members Germany, Belgium, Austria and Malta moved to lower their citizens' voting age to 16, as reported by Reuters. However, the global standard remains 18 years of age in most democracies. MPs in Parliament clash over electoral changes The announcement has sparked debate across party lines, with Labour Party members championing the change while Conservative and Reform members of the United Kingdom's Parliament have expressed opposition. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner framed the reform as essential for rebuilding political trust, as reported by the AP. 'For too long, public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline,' Rayner said. 'We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that will ensure more people have the opportunity to engage in U.K. democracy.' Conservative MPs have responded with more skepticism. Tory MP Paul Holmes criticized both the substance of the proposal and the way it was introduced, expressing frustration that significant electoral changes weren't announced through a formal government statement. Holmes highlighted what he sees as inconsistencies in the government's approach to age-related rights. 'Why does this government think a 16-year-old can vote but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket or an alcoholic drink, marry or go to war, or even stand in the elections they're voting?' Holmes asked during Thursday's House of Commons session, as reported by The Guardian. Holmes continued, 'Isn't the government's position on the age of maturity just hopelessly confused?' Reform party leader Nigel Farage and Reform MP Richard Tice both posted their opposition to the electoral reform in posts on X. 'Giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote is an attempt to rig the political system,' Farage said. Tice called the move 'wrong.' Labour MP Lisa Nandy also took to X but to voice her support of the government's changes. 'Young people deserve a say in the decisions shaping their future and we're making sure they have one,' she said. The proposal faces a challenging path through Parliament, with the government's substantial majority likely to overcome opposition, but not without debate that so far has revealed fundamental differences in how British lawmakers view youth participation in their democracy. Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Tens of thousands in US join ‘Good Trouble' anti-Trump protests honoring John Lewis
People across all 50 US states on Thursday joined marches and rallies at more than 1,500 sites to protest against the Trump administration and honor the legacy of the late congressman John Lewis, an advocate for voting rights and civil disobedience. The 'Good Trouble Lives On' day of action coincides with the fifth anniversary of Lewis's death. Lewis was a longtime congressman from Georgia who participated in major civil rights actions, including the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 when police attacked Lewis and other protesters at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Lewis implored people to participate in 'good trouble, necessary trouble' to advance their causes, and this call serves as the underpinning for the 17 July actions. Dozens of advocacy and civil rights organizations signed on as partners for the event. In Atlanta, Georgia, one of the main sites for the protest, Lewis's legacy rang loud as anti-Trump demonstrators marched down the courtyard of Dr Martin Luther King Jr's famed church, Ebenezer Baptist. 'We honor John Lewis's personal legacy, five years after being called home,' said the Rev Dr Jonathan Jay Augustine, the newly appointed senior pastor of Big Bethel AME church. 'He's someone who gave his life for inclusion and for inclusiveness, and the things he gave his life for are under attack and being eroded away.' About 1,000 people marched from Big Bethel and the landmark five-story tall mural of Lewis to Ebenezer Baptist, where the Rev Raphael Warnock, a Democratic senator from Georgia, is its senior pastor. Politics and faith are intertwined on Atlanta's streets and Lewis's legacy of political protest – and the unique animosity Donald Trump had for him, and for Atlanta's fifth district, which Lewis represented – is rarely far from the thoughts expressed by civil rights and voting rights leaders here. 'Today we go to send a message from the birthplace of civil rights to … the one that wants to destroy the Department of Education, the one that wants to deport millions upon millions of people seeking a better life, the one who won't release the Epstein files, the one who had the nerve to call the fifth district horrible and falling apart,' said the Georgia NAACP president, Gerald Griggs. 'We still have a message for that man. In Georgia, no one is above the law. You still have a court date in the fifth district.' In downtown Washington, hundreds of people gathered in a park a few blocks from the White House. Some held signs protesting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and comparing the Trump administration to Nazi Germany. 'Fascism will fall and when it falls, if you were complicit, you will be held accountable,' said Mary Baird, who traveled to Washington on Thursday morning from North Carolina to meet with members of Congress before the protest. In downtown Minneapolis, the theme of 'good trouble' punctuated the speeches, with speakers imploring the crowd to follow Lewis' sexample and take a stand, even if it gets them in trouble. 'Stand up and get in the way,' said Nekima Levy Armstrong, a lawyer and social justice advocate who also called on the crowd to continue the boycott against Target, the retailer based in Minnesota. The events across the country on Thursday were inspired by civil rights leaders like Lewis, who showed the power of collective action, the protest's website says. 'That's why on July 17, five years since the passing of Congressman John Lewis, communities across the country will take to the streets, courthouses, and community spaces to carry forward his fight for justice, voting rights, and dignity for all.' Organizers said before Thursday's events that they expect tens of thousands of people to turn out in small towns, suburbs and cities, the latest exercise of street protests distributed across the country to show opposition to Trump in all corners of the US. The last mass day of protest, No Kings, in June drew several million people in one of the biggest single days of protest in US history. Thursday's events were expected to be smaller as it is a weekday. Chicago was to host the day's flagship event on Thursday evening, with additional main sites in Atlanta, St Louis, Annapolis and Oakland. Events include rallies, marches, candlelight vigils, food drives, direct action trainings, teach-ins and voter registration drives. The protest's demands include an end to the Trump administration's crackdown on civil rights, including the right to protest and voting rights; targeting of Black and brown Americans, immigrants and trans people; and the slashing of social programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), known colloquially as 'food stamps'. 'One of the things that John Lewis would always say is that if you see something that's wrong, you have an obligation to speak up, to say something, to do something,' Daryl Jones, co-leader of the Transformative Justice Coalition, told reporters on Thursday. 'That's what July 17 is about – seeing things across this nation, seeing things that are being impacted, that are just not right. We've got to stand up and say something.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
People as young as 16 vote at the next general election in huge plan for change
Government ministers are anticipated to confirm plans today to extend voting rights to England's 16 and 17 year olds. This change would represent one of the most significant overhauls of the electoral system in years, allowing over a million more people to have their say in how the country is governed. Have your say! Should 16 and 17-year-olds get the right to vote? Will this improve apathy towards politics amongst young people? Comment below, and join in on the conversation. Announcing the move, Keir Starmer told ITV News: "I think it's really important that 16 and 17-year-olds have the vote, because they're old enough to go out to work, they're old enough to pay taxes... I think if you pay in you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on." READ MORE: DWP announces state pension change which kicks in next month READ MORE: Met Office issues 21-hour thunderstorm alert which includes 'danger to life' At present, you must be 18 or over to vote in a general election for all parts of the UK, but 16 and 17 year olds can vote for local elections in Scotland and Wales, reports the Mirror. The move was one of the Labour party's general election pledges, and forms part of a wider set of measures that they say will strengthen British democracy. Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner said: "For too long public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline. "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 sixteen 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." The expansion of voting entitlements will arrive alongside reforms including plugging gaps around overseas donations to political parties via shell companies. Harsher penalties reaching £500,000 will target those breaking the regulations. At present, any UK firm can contribute to any party, irrespective of the money's source or ownership. Bank cards issued in the UK and veterans' identification will also be recognised as valid ID at ballot boxes, following government claims that "far too many people are being deterred from voting" because of Voter ID requirements. Have your say! Should 16 and 17-year-olds get the right to vote? Will this improve apathy towards politics amongst young people? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
UK to lower voting age to 16 in landmark electoral reform
By Sam Tabahriti , Reuters The British government says it plans to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all UK elections. Photo: JONATHAN NICHOLSON / NurPhoto via AFP The British government plans to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all UK elections in a major overhaul of the country's democratic system. The government said the proposed changes were part of an effort to boost public trust in democracy and would align voting rights across Britain, where younger voters already participate in devolved elections in Scotland and Wales. "They're old enough to go out to work, they're old enough to pay taxes ... and I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go," Prime Minister Keir Starmer told ITV News. The change will require parliamentary approval, but that is unlikely to present an obstacle because the policy was part of Starmer's election campaign last year which gave him a large majority. Despite that win, Starmer's popularity has fallen sharply in government after a series of missteps set against a difficult economic backdrop. His party sits second in most opinion polls behind Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK Party. A poll of 500 16- and 17 year-olds conducted by Merlin Strategy for ITV News showed 33 percent said they would vote Labour, 20 percent would vote Reform, 18 percent would vote Green, 12 percent Liberal Democrats and 10 percent Conservative. There are about 1.6 million 16- and 17 year-olds in the UK, according to official data. Just over 48 million people were eligible to vote at the last election, in which turnout fell to its lowest since 2001. The next election is due in 2029. Research from other countries has shown lowering the voting age had no impact on election outcomes, but that 16-year-olds were more likely to vote than those first eligible at 18. "Voting at 16 will also help more young people to cast that all-important, habit-forming vote at a point when they can be supported with civic education ," said Darren Hughes, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society. The reforms would also expand acceptable voter ID to include UK-issued bank cards and digital formats of existing IDs, such as driving licences and Veteran Cards. A more automated system will also be introduced to simplify the process of registering to vote. To tackle foreign interference, the government plans to tighten rules on political donations, including checks on contributions over 500 pounds (NZD$1131) from unincorporated associations and closing loopholes used by shell companies. "By reinforcing safeguards against foreign interference, we will strengthen our democratic institutions and protect them for future generations," democracy minister Rushanara Ali said in a statement. - Reuters
France 24
3 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
'If you pay, you should have a say': UK to lower voting age to 16
The British government said on Thursday it planned to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all UK elections in a major overhaul of the country's democratic system. The government said the proposed changes were part of an effort to boost public trust in democracy and would align voting rights across Britain, where younger voters already participate in devolved elections in Scotland and Wales. "They're old enough to go out to work, they're old enough to pay taxes ... and I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go," Prime Minister Keir Starmer told ITV News. Globally, most countries have a voting age of 18, however in last year's European Parliament elections European Union members were given the option to allow people to vote from the age of 16, a move taken by Germany, Belgium, Austria and Malta. The change in Britain will require parliamentary approval, but that is unlikely to present an obstacle because the policy was part of Starmer's election campaign last year which gave him a large majority. Despite that win, Starmer's popularity has fallen sharply in government after a series of missteps set against a difficult economic backdrop. His party sits second in most opinion polls behind Nigel Farage 's right-wing Reform UK party. A poll of 500 16 and 17-year-olds conducted by Merlin Strategy for ITV News showed 33 percent said they would vote Labour, 20 percent would vote Reform, 18 percent would vote Green, 12 percent Liberal Democrats and 10 percent Conservative. There are about 1.6 million 16- and 17-year-olds in the UK, according to official data. A little more than 48 million people were eligible to vote at the last election, in which turnout fell to its lowest since 2001. The next election is due in 2029. Britain's Conservative Party, the second largest in parliament but which has fallen further behind rivals since losing power last year, said the reforms were being rushed in without proper consultation and were inconsistent for young people. "Sixteen-year-olds will be able to vote in an election but not stand as candidates, and they will be able to vote but not permitted to buy a lottery ticket, consume alcohol, marry, or go to war. This is a hopelessly confusing policy," said lawmaker Paul Holmes, Conservative spokesman on community matters. Research from other countries has shown lowering the voting age had no impact on election outcomes, but that 16-year-olds were more likely to vote than those first eligible at 18. "Voting at 16 will also help more young people to cast that all-important, habit-forming vote at a point when they can be supported with civic education," said Darren Hughes, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society. To tackle foreign interference, the government plans to tighten rules on political donations, including checks on contributions over 500 pounds (580€) from unincorporated associations and closing loopholes used by shell companies. "By reinforcing safeguards against foreign interference, we will strengthen our democratic institutions and protect them for future generations," democracy minister Rushanara Ali said in a statement.
