Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

Debate between Natascha Engel and Angus Brendan MacNeil

Monday 18th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr MacNeil]

Does the hon. Lady agree that if we can send 16-year-olds into our armed services and demand that they pay tax, they should be allowed to vote at 16? The Scottish National party and, I recall, the Liberal Democrats have been very strong advocates of having the franchise at 16; we are still of that mind and I hope that in the Lobby the Liberal Democrats will be, too. Is she optimistic about that?

[Natascha Engel]

I have it on good authority that I should be very pessimistic about the Liberal Democrats joining us in the Aye Lobby tonight, but they would be very welcome to do so.

--- Later in debate ---

[Natascha Engel]

I should have been more particular about that point, and I apologise. My argument was that 16-year-olds are allowed to do any number of things—

[Mr MacNeil]

Such as paying tax.

[Natascha Engel]

Indeed. At 16, people are allowed to do many things over which they have no say. The argument I am trying to make is that, as we are proposing a fundamental change in the voting system for a parliamentary election, at the referendum—and referendums are rare—that will happen only a few years before the general election at which we propose to change the voting system, it is only right that the people who will be affected by it should have a say in whether they want that system changed.