Oral Answers to Questions

William Bain Excerpts

Tuesday 26th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Natascha Engel (North East Derbyshire) (Lab)]

3. If he will bring forward proposals to lower to 16 years the voting age in elections and referendums.

[Mr William Bain (Glasgow North East) (Lab)]

6. What the Government's policy is on extending the electoral franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds.

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The Government have no current plans to lower the voting age to 16, but we will of course keep the issue under review.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The hon. Lady is right that there are differences of view in this Government, as there were in the previous Government, about the merits or not of moving to votes at 16. On the issue of whether such a move should apply only to the referendum and not to other votes, the feeling, not unreasonably, was that the matter needs to be looked at in the round. If we are to take a decision in this House, it should be taken on the principle, across all elections and votes, and not just the referendum.

[Mr William Bain (Glasgow North East) (Lab)]

A recent Demos report established that, in the past decade, 16 and 17-year-olds contributed £500 million in tax to the UK Exchequer, that 4,500 of them serve in the British armed forces, and that they are now capable of being company directors. Given that, what possible reason is there for excluding them from voting in referendums or elections?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I happen to be a supporter of votes at 16 but we are open about the fact that there are differences of view in this Government. That is why the matter is not included in our coalition agreement. The previous Labour Government also had no consensus on the matter, and I assume that that is why the hon. Gentleman’s party never brought such a proposal forward when it was in government.