Geoff shares this latest news. Ed
Labour’s IW Councillor for Newport East, Geoff Brodie, has tabled a Motion to next week’s Full Council calling for support for the ‘Votes at 16’ campaign.
The Motion reads,
This Council notes;
- That currently 1.5 million 16 and 17 year olds are denied the vote in public elections in the UK.
- That the campaign to lower the voting age is supported by thousands of young people across the UK and that the ‘Votes at 16 Coalition’ consists of a wide range of youth and democracy organisations.
This Council believes;
- 16 and 17 year olds are knowledgeable and passionate about the world in which they live and are as capable of engaging in the democratic system as any other citizen;
- Lowering the voting age to 16, combined with strong citizenship education, would empower young people to better engage in society and influence decisions that will define their future;
- People who can consent to medical treatment, work full-time, pay taxes, get married or enter a civil partnership and join the armed forces should also have the right to vote.
This Council resolves;
- To support the Votes at 16 Coalition;
- To write to the Island’s MP to inform him of this decision and ask him to support the campaign
Geoff was approached by former Deputy Youth MP, Will Matthews about getting support for this campaign and readily agreed. Will is now IW Labour’s Youth & Student Officer and very active in ‘Young Labour’
Geoff said,
“The key for me is that young people of 16 & 17 are treated as taxable if in work, but they have no representation.
“There was an American Revolution over ‘No taxation without representation’ more than 200 years ago and it seems bizarre to me that these young people are still unable to vote in the 21st century.”
Will Matthews said,
“I am delighted that Geoff has agreed to table this Motion and I hope that the overwhelming majority of IW Councillors will see that it is only fair that there are Votes at 16 and will support it.”
