Giving 16-year-olds the vote is only half the job

UK needs to prepare teenagers for this new right and responsibility, but the issue is under the radar

Good morning. As we wait with bated breath for the Milburn review, there's a lot of focus -- rightly -- on young people, especially those disaffected and alienated from work and education. But there's a huge issue looming that gets close-to-zero attention: votes for 16- and 17-year-olds in general elections. Are they, or the rest of us, prepared?

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'Prepping' a new generation

The legislation that will expand the franchise from 18 and above to 16- and 17-year-olds is currently at the Lords committee stage, and sources say it'll probably get Royal Assent next year. So of course if there is some sort of snap election in the short term, it won't happen. But Andy Burnham doesn't have to call an election until mid-2029 so everyone, everywhere in democratic politics in the UK should be thinking seriously about the implications of giving this extra 1.7mn people the right to elect MPs.

And there has been a bit of kvetching in recent weeks about how well the new generation of voters is being prepared to engage and take part in a general election. (Note: this cohort can already vote in Scottish and Welsh devolved government elections, but not in Northern Ireland and probably not in time for 2027's scheduled Stormont election either.)

Is anything going on to get this age group ready for such a momentous change? Well, the Electoral Commission says it is "scaling up" its engagement with schools, colleges and youth leaders; it has a bunch of materials plus teams that visit. And the curriculum revamp coming in England in 2028 will see Citizenship made a compulsory subject for primary schools and a stronger emphasis on the subject in secondaries, following the recommendations of the 2025 Francis review.

I personally think more and better citizenship education is indispensable but you can see how this could turn into a row about indoctrinating tiny tots -- let's see how the conversation develops. For now it's all a bit under the radar. The Electoral Commission says children who are currently 13 must get this support to understand our democratic system: the kids "who -- if these changes go ahead -- would be able to vote at the next UK general election if it were held in 2029". Good point.

But the Association of Citizenship Teachers has warned there's a need for more specialist teachers if this is to be done properly (and impartially) -- peers debating the bill echoed these calls last week and called for Ofsted to increase its scrutiny of what's being delivered. David Blunkett, a former education secretary, wants the freshened-up curriculum to be introduced earlier, in autumn term 2027.

In the education world, some of those who spend their lives thinking about the post-16 cohort are really worried: unless a huge effort is made to inform and engage, votes at 16 might be a real damp squib -- research shows that voting becomes a habit but so does non-voting. Furthermore, people can give up on voting if they become disengaged from society (see this brief LSE research paper), so the Neets crisis plays into votes at 16, as do worrying signs that the AI revolution is hitting entry-level jobs (Sarah O'Connor explains here).

The John Smith Centre at Glasgow University, which specialises in young people and politics, found in their research that 16- and 17-year-olds don't feel equipped for this new right (and responsibility). Of those who said they were unlikely to use their vote in general elections, three-quarters said it was because they don't know enough about politics -- many found it "confusing".

Cards on the table, the Citizenship GCSE that one of my kids sat two years ago was seriously impressive as a grounding in how the UK system works, not just parliamentary democracy but the whole shebang, criminal justice and civil society included. My feeling is that young voters who have done that two-year course and got a decent pass will be a whole lot better equipped to make an informed choice on polling day than plenty of older UK voters.

Now try this

Chai. Not the oversweet concoction of cinnamon and not much else that (dis)graces most UK café chains. But the peppery, fiery brew that feels as if it will see off colds wondering whether to set up shop in your upper respiratory tract. Latest example of the real thing: at 345 Portobello Road in West London, a low-key, delightful vegetarian café. Go. Or make your own spice mix from Anjli Raval's family recipe: excellent and can be kept in a jam jar for a bit. If feeling lazy, I recommend the Palanquin brand "spiced tea" which has black pepper in the mix.

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