Time for Farage to "take a break"?

Sonic67

All other elections including the GE still have 18. Generally people tend to be regarded as responsible adults at 18. You can't go to war if you are under 18. Can't buy alcoholic drink. Can't watch an adult video. Marriage can be at 16 with your parents permission. So how about 16 year olds can vote if they vote the way their parents want?

Besides what do you mean by, "But the Scottish referendum showed it can be very successfully drawn at 16," well it was allowed. That's it.

So you bring up voter apathy and the young not being engaged and yet just these things are levied at FPTP which you still want to keep. Bit selective. For instance, "But the voting for the Scottish parliment has shown FPTP has had its day and now the precedent has been set I am not sure it is right and proper to reverse it."

Agree?

Or do you only agree with voter reform when it suits you?

Sonic67

Link please. Only apparently from what you say you know of a friend of a friend's experience suddenly you imply this means all the UK's population is not a suitably motivated domestic workforce. Seriously?

Rasczak

I think we can safely say, given the huge levels of voter registration and turnout, that the younger voting age worked very well in Scotland at the referendum. Turnout shot up and has stayed up.

Reference FPTP, it is a proven system. It works and gives majority Government more often than not. So I don't think there is a pressing need to change it at present. Interestingly if we also compare this to the Scottish electoral system - which uses a variant of PR - that also produces majority Government. Ergo we might as well keep FPTP!

Sonic67

Stayed up? It was a one off referendum. When since then have 16 year olds voted?

Besides, a lot of people voted? Of course they did. It was a rather important referendum.

If it comes to it the vote went from zero 16 years olds in the past to some voting now!

A huge increase!
Well all voting systems are "proven". They all return a parliament. FPTP is the one that tends to be replaced, is unrepresentative, leads to people feeling disenfranchised, and one system that no one else adopted.

So you want voter reform when it suits you! Nice one.

Sonic67

So Rasczak so far you wanted the UK to only leave when all four members of the UK separately elect to do so, the referendum age to be lowered to 16 (as apparently only young people go abroad or something), so what next? Those working here from abroad to vote? Any other ways you want to skew it? Only for someone who keeps insisting that the referendum will be won you seem to be very worried...

Rasczak

Only mooting my thoughts Sonic67, no need to be so defensive. Ultimately any change in the plebiscite is only going to have a small effect - and given the Conservatives live up to their name and are unlikely to venture beyond the standard electoral roll - nothing to be worried about whichever camp you are in.

I'm a bit surprised at your opposition to the 16-17 year olds though. You have frequently said you don't mind which way the referendum goes - you just want the public to have a say. So surely the more that 'have a say' the better?  Anything else seems to go against your belief that we should have a democratic vote?

Sonic67

That's great, only mooting my thoughts too.

krish

The Liberals/LD's have been let down for decades by FPTP ... funny how we heard little about disenfranchisement until now. The kippers never gave a sh*t!

Rasczak

I see Labour/Lib Dems/SNP are all now pushing for 16/17 year olds to have a vote. They are looking for Tory rebels in the Commons and will use their combined majority in the Lords. I wonder if the Government will hold on their line? Considering it won't alter the result whilst also giving a franchise to those most affected, it seems bizarre to exclude them given the Scottish precedent.

IronGiant

I'm not sure I follow your logic there: why are 16/17 year olds going to be affected more than any other age group?