Britain plans to lower voting age to 16 to restore 'public trust' in democracy

The UK government on Thursday announced that it will lower the voting age from 18 to 16 years in time for the next general election expected in 2029 a manifesto commitment made by the Labour Party when it was voted last yearThe move will bring UKwide elections in line with the devolved Scotland and Wales regions as part of what the British government described as one of the biggest changes to UK democracy in a generationThe plans also include an expansion of the voter ID system to permit the use of UKissued bank cards as an accepted form of ID at polling stations to ensure eligible voters are not deterred from votingFor too long public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline said UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner marking the release of a strategy paper that sets in motion plans to lower the voting ageWe are modernising our democracy so that it is fit for the 21st century By delivering our manifesto commitment to extend the vote to 16 and 17 year olds we are taking a generational step forward in restoring public trust and boosting engagement in UK democracy supporting our Plan for Change said Rushanara Ali Minister for Democracy in the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government MHCLGThe new strategy covers the creation of a new digital Voter Authority Certificate to ensure Electoral Registration Officers can meet the digital needs of voters reduce printing costs and ensure faster deliveryAn increasingly automated voter registration system is intended to make it easier for people to register to vote and reduce the need to fill out their details across different government services on multiple occasionsIn order to boost transparency and accountability in politics the MHCLG said it will also be closing loopholes that may allow foreign donors via shell companies to influence UK political partiesMeanwhile new requirements on unincorporated associations will mandate checks on donations over GBP 500 to tackle foreign interference and protect UK democracy from those who attempt to undermine itWe cannot take our democracy for granted and by protecting our elections from abuse and boosting participation we will strengthen the foundations of our society for the future added RaynerThe changes will form part of an elections bill to be tabled in Parliament besides secondary legislation to address the implementation schedule The MHCLG said it will be incorporating learning from democracies such as Australia and Canada which have high rates of legitimate voter registration via automated systemsAt the same time far too many people are being deterred from voting because of voter ID rules with the Electoral Commission finding that 4 per cent of nonvoters at the 2024 general election saying that a lack of voter ID was a key reason they didnt vote equating to around three quarters of a million people across Great Britain the ministry saidThrough the new plans the government is going further to allow UKissued bank cards to be used as ID when voting making it far easier for more voters to meet the requirements This change will allow us to continue to protect the integrity of the UK electoral system while allowing greater accessibility it notedAs bank debit and credit cards are issued after an applicant has passed necessary security checks for a bank account they will ensure that a widely and commonly carried item will be included in the range of identification documents already accepted at polling boothsThese measures will strike the right balance by continuing to protect voters from the risk of impersonation while also removing barriers to ensure legitimate voters are not prevented or discouraged from exercising their right to vote MHCLG assertedFurther reforms are aimed at cracking down on unacceptable practices delivering tougher sentences for those who intimidate campaigners and stronger protections for candidates in public life by removing the requirement for their home address to be published and openly availableThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever