Yes to votes at 16, but more needs to be done

Introducing votes at 16 has been Liberal Democrat policy for a while, with the baton now picked up by the Labour Party. In the past, I’ve never had a passionate belief in the idea, but viewed it as something not worth opposing. However, whilst still viewing many other aspects as priorities, I believe that allowing 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote is sensible, fair and pragmatic. Nevertheless, this isn’t enough on its own.

I do not speak for current 16 and 17 year olds when I say this (and indeed people my age), but as I have alluded to in the past, it was studying history that engaged my interest in politics. My interest was very likely to have had roots in studying Stalin’s Russia in Year 9 (and then Year 12), with a strong sense of injustice exaggerated by studying the American West and the ‘manifest destiny’ at GCSE level, and from a literary point of view I found George Orwell’s novel ‘Animal Farm’ immensely compelling. American politics and history at A-Level (via Civil Rights and the Great Depression/New Deal) completed and accelerated my path to politics, having had zero interest in the past. With this list, my intent is not to bore you or be autobiographical; it is to display a (to a degree) complex alternative to rousing interest in politics, and it highlights the immense dearth of usefulness in subjects such as ‘General Studies’. The subjects and literature listed above are not everyday shopping lists for teachers eager to get students interested in politics, nor are they guarantees for political participation.

Sadiq Khan, Labour’s shadow justice secretary, has noted that “the evidence we have is that if you vote the first time you are entitled to, you will carry on doing so through your life”. However, it is vital how we get people to vote for the first time (and indeed continue to vote), whether they are in the 16-17 age bracket or above. From personal experience General Studies, however well intentioned, did not provide a coherent or adequate framework for informing people on politics, and was too broad (hence the title ‘General’) to be coherent on anything else. Although this is my view, ask any current or former sixth form student about General Studies, and you’ll find a strong and negative consensus. Even with the vote at 18 as it currently is, some form of political awareness at school needs to be implemented, and competently.

A solution isn’t straightforward, but the proposals don’t have to be rocket science. Why not have a period for politics, starting with information on the political system and parties, once every four weeks (preferably two weeks) starting in Year 9 or 10? These could easily be incorporated into PSE lessons or equivalents, and at a compulsory stage of education could gradually start to interest young students. These political lessons could then be superseded by an AS/A2 in the subject at A-Level (with or without votes at 16). It’s a few years since I was in compulsory education, so I could be preaching to the converted, but why not have more British political history in history lessons, too? The school I attended in Matlock was brilliant for me, and its history department excellent, but I was a little envious when a friend of mine at University said that they had studied David Lloyd George. Furthermore, I am aware that Politics is an option at A-Level for some schools; a good move, and another one that makes me jealous.

For those who say that 16 and 17 year olds are too immature to vote, I say trust the people. In a previous blog post on engaging people in politics I cover the issue in a bit more depth, but Khan’s quote sums it up well; “There are more things that 16-17-year-olds can do – work, pay national insurance and tax, have sexual relationships, get married and enter civil partnerships and join the armed forces.” As someone who was a 16/17 year old in the relatively recent past, I know that this age demographic is more than capable at making important decisions, but a newly enfranchised group has to go in tandem with far more political awareness.

With two of the three major parties containing manifesto commitments to votes at 16, there’s a strong likelihood of it being in place for the 2020 General Election. It’s not a priority in the grand scheme of things, but it’s something that can be legislated for with relative ease, be it a free vote or a cross-party parliamentary consensus. If 2020 is the beginning of votes for 16 and 17 year olds, that means potential voters for that election are currently 9 and 10 years old. This gives us time to introduce measures to educate young people effectively and coherently. Allowing them to vote is a matter of principle. Giving them adequate political education is a matter of fairness.