Oliver Dean: Votes at 16 is nothing more than a desperate cling to power

Oliver Dean is a political commentator with Young Voices UK. He studies History and Politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) where he is the President of the LSE Hayek Society.

Despite the majority of the country being in opposition to giving 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote, the government has announced it will go ahead with the reforms anyway. To those who support this landmark change, it is a triumph for democracy. But the evidence points to this being nothing more than a desperate power grab by a government that is falling out of favour with the electorate.

If the Prime Minister were to be taken at his word, this appears to be a decision driven by common sense.

The government’s argument rests on the fact that if 16 and 17 year olds are old enough to work and pay tax, then they should have a say as to where their tax goes. Yet, as is often the case with this government, this is merely a soundbite that neglects the facts and figures. The reality is that only a minority of 16 and 17 year olds fall into this category.

Furthermore, if this was really the triumph for democracy that supporters of this legislation are claiming it is, then young people would be welcoming this news with open arms. Yet, as a study has revealed, half of 16-17 year olds don’t actually want the vote, despite the government granting it to them. Combined with this is extensive research conducted by the Electoral Commission, which directly contradicts government messaging. Just 31 per cent of young people know what the UK government does and 57 per cent report that they would need more information before voting in order to make a well-informed decision.

The evidence is clear – young people do not want the vote, they do not feel ready to vote, and are not well informed enough to vote.

The supposed notion that this legislation is rooted in a desire to empower young people with a sense of independence is also misguided. Within his first few weeks in government, the Prime Minister took away the next generation’s right to be able to smoke tobacco. It is paradoxical, therefore, to infantilise young people one moment, and then strengthen their independence and autonomy the next. This inconsistency is revealing, the Prime Minister is being swayed by the possibility of electoral success – and the statistics prove it.

Simply put, the vast majority of students will vote Labour.

Time and again, the data showcases that the younger a voter is, the more likely they are to vote Labour. Whilst this has been somewhat disrupted with the rise of Reform amongst young men, the trend is still present. In the 2024 election, for instance, 41 per cent of 18-24 year olds voted Labour, with this figure reaching 56 per cent in the 2019 election.

Such statistics are made worse when the voting intentions of teachers are also taken into consideration. Following the 2024 election, it was revealed that 58 per cent of teachers voted for Labour, which has caused some to worry that teacher’s political biases may rub off on their students. Given that 74 per cent of young people believe what they learn about politics in either school or college, such concerns are not outlandish.

The reality is clear, therefore. The government did not embark on this legislative shake-up in the name of democracy or representation. They did so because they are desperate to cling to power, and this is one such way to do it.

The Prime Minister should be honest with the public about his intentions. These reforms are nothing more than gerrymandering hiding behind the mask of democracy and accountability.