Britain’s left-wing Labour government has announced plans to lower the voting age in time for the next U.K. general election, allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in what it described as sweeping electoral reforms to “modernize democracy.”
Ministers say the move is designed to rebuild public trust, but critics have accused the government of trying to tilt the electoral playing field in its favor, with recent polling suggesting Labour would benefit from a third of the votes.
The voting age reform is part of a broader Elections Bill that will also ease voter ID rules by allowing bank cards as accepted identification and introduce tougher regulations on foreign donations, campaigner abuse, and digital voter registration.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the plan would “break down barriers to participation” and deliver on Labour’s manifesto promise to extend the vote to young people who already “work, pay taxes, and serve in the military.” Minister for Democracy Rushanara Ali called it a “generational step forward.”
But Nigel Farage, leader of Reform U.K., responded: “I’m not in favor of it, but I’m really encouraged by the number of young people that are coming towards us. It’s an attempt to rig the political system, but we intend to give them a nasty surprise.”
Farage doesn’t support lowering the voting age to 16, despite 20% telling ITV News they’d vote Reform
As the government confirms it’ll let 16 year olds vote in the next general election, @Nigel_Farage said: ‘I’m not in favour of it, but I’m really encouraged by the number of… pic.twitter.com/kXDwHJQtzu
— ITV News (@itvnews) July 17, 2025
Polling by Merlin Strategy suggests the issue is divisive even among teenagers. Of 500 16- and 17-year-olds surveyed, 49 percent said they did not believe they should be allowed to vote, while 51 percent supported the move. When asked how they would vote, 33 percent backed Labour, but Reform U.K. came in second with 20 percent. Only 10 percent of respondents said they would vote Conservative.
BREAKING: The UK is set to lower the voting age to 16 in landmark electoral reforms.
Julia: “Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse… we’re going to let kids vote over who runs the country – completely and utterly insane!”@JuliaHB1 pic.twitter.com/xXaRoOH2px
— Talk (@TalkTV) July 17, 2025
Shadow Communities Secretary Kevin Hollinrake told the Daily Mail the move risks undermining democracy: “Even 16- and 17-year-olds don’t think they’re ready to vote. With only 18 percent saying they’d definitely take part in an election, it’s clear this is more about politics than principle.”
Former editor of The Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie, was blunter: “In a desperate attempt to find anybody to vote Labour, Angela Rayner has announced 16-year-olds can vote. At 16, they know nothing of life and finance and therefore make great socialist fodder.”
In a desperate attempt to find anybody to vote Labour Angela Rayner has announced 16-year-olds can vote at the next General Election.
At 16 they know nothing of life and finance and therefore make great socialist fodder. Older voters sick of subsidising teenagers born with their…— Kelvin MacKenzie (@kelvmackenzie) July 17, 2025
In a European context, the U.K. now joins Austria and Malta in allowing 16-year-olds to vote in all elections. Germany, Wales, and Scotland permit voting at 16 for local or regional elections, but most European countries still set the national voting age at 18.
The move could backfire for the Labour government. Just 43 percent of young people are supportive of the two legacy parties in Britain, Labour and the Conservatives, with the data suggesting they are sympathetic to left and right-wing causes.
With talk of a potential splinter party from Labour in the pipeline being set up by far-left MPs Zara Sultana and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, and the indisputable success Reform U.K. had at the last general election through its use of social media targeting young people, Keir Starmer’s party could find itself being squeezed from both sides.
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