There’s a worrying disconnection between young people and politics – it’s time to act on Votes at 16

By Wes Streeting / @wesstreeting

As the Prime Minister embarks on what will hopefully be a radical and ambitious programme of democratic renewal, in the wake of the scandal over expenses, this is a golden opportunity to tackle the crisis afflicting youth engagement in politics revealed by the report of the Government’s Youth Citizenship Commission, published today.

During the past year, I have been proud to be part of the Youth Citizenship Commission, established by the Prime Minister and chaired by Professor Jon Tonge of Liverpool University. We were given the task of examining what citizenship means to young people, how to increase young people’s participation in politics – especially amongst disadvantaged groups – and to lead a consultation with young people on whether the voting age should be lowered to 16.

We found a damaging disconnection between young people and politicians. According to our research, published today, a whopping 82% of young people don’t trust politicians to make the right decisions for them and 72% don’t feel that they can influence government decisions. One person we spoke to said: “We see politicians like they are in the media and the politicians see all young people like we are in the media.”

While the media have to bear some responsibility for the continual demonisation of young people, the problem that we evidence is hardly a revelation and there are a number of practical steps that politicians can take to empower youth engagement.

The Commission makes practical suggestions across sixteen recommendations. They range from promoting democracy in schools through strong, supported, student councils in every school and students on school governing bodies, right through changing the way that decision makers and institutions work and exploring compulsory civic service. The Government has a responsibility to take these recommendations on board and to act; the worst possible course of action would be to confirm the worst suspicions of the many young people we spoke to: that politicians aren’t prepared to act on what young people say.

It’s also time to act on Votes at 16. The Commission itself could not reach agreement on whether or not the voting age should be lowered. We heard a range of arguments and saw conflicting evidence and opinions from both sides. In the end, we concluded that Votes at 16 is essentially a question of political conviction, but we did recommend that the Government “should consider whether the right to decide the voting age for elections to the devolved legislatures and in relevant local elections could be one for devolved governments”.

Since I am, from today, no longer a Commissioner, I add my voice to the broad alliance of youth organisations in the Votes at 16 Coalition by calling on the Government to act now on Votes at 16. The Commission found that lowering the voting age is supported by the majority of 16-17 year olds in Britain and I believe that, at a time when we’re struggling to engage the adult population in the electoral process, we should open the door to the young people who want to play an active part in our democracy.

Votes at 16 was backed by the National Policy Forum and endorsed by Labour Party Conference. It’s time to put young people at the heart of our nation’s democratic renewal by implementing the Youth Citizenship Commission’s recommendations and going even further by including Votes at 16 in Labour’s programme for reform now.