Skip to main content

Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

The United Kingdom has officially lowered the country’s voting age to 16.

Getting into it: The move, which was announced by the UK’s Labour government, will lower the national voting age from 18 to 16 ahead of the next general election. Approximately 1.6 million 16- and 17-year-olds will gain the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the decision, saying: “I think it’s really important that 16- and 17-year-olds have the vote, because they are old enough to go out to work, they are old enough to pay taxes, so [they] pay in. 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.”

240705050950 07 Keir Starmer 070524

Alongside the voting age reform, the government announced a series of changes to modernize and expand access to voting. Voter ID requirements, originally introduced under the previous Conservative government, will now be relaxed to include UK-issued bank cards and veterans’ ID, following criticism that strict photo ID rules disenfranchised up to 750,000 voters in the 2024 general election.

The Elections Bill also introduces a crackdown on political donations and foreign interference, closing loopholes that previously allowed anonymous or foreign-linked money to enter UK politics. Political parties will now be required to conduct enhanced “know your donor” checks, verifying that companies making donations are generating income in the UK or Ireland. Donations from newly registered shell companies or entities with unclear ownership will be blocked. Fines for breaches will rise to £500,000, and misleading or false declarations will be treated as criminal offenses.

This all comes as critics warn the reforms could tilt the political playing field in Labour’s favor, given that younger voters in the UK tend to lean left. “This is about rigging the system,” claimed Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who argued that 16- and 17-year-olds are being politically shaped in schools with “leftwing prejudice.” Conservative MP Paul Holmes echoed concerns over mixed legal standards, saying, “Why does this government think a 16-year-old can vote but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket, an alcoholic drink, marry, or go to war, or even stand in the elections they’re voting in?”

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Keep up to date with our latest videos, news and content