I understand that the Government from October will increase the age that people can buy cigarettes and tobacco from 16 to 18. Now this does not effect me as I am well over 18 and have never smoked.
I understand that the Government wants to show how seriously it takes the damage to health of smoking, in the past comments have been made that the Government does not have any interest in reducing smoking as the tax on a packet of cigarettes is about 75% of the total cost.
The problem as I see it, is that the Government wants 'young people' to become more responsible, but increases the age limit for purchasing certain items, perhaps they need to offer something back. I feel reducing the voting age to 16 will not cause any harm and may have some benefits. There is a General Election about every 4 years on average, (up to the 5 years maximum) so the first General Election that someone could be when they are 22-23 a time when they are living their life and have managed without politics, so why would they bother about it. If reduced to 16 it would take the first General Election say to 20-21 and a number before leaving school or college, a time when people are more interested in politics so the Parties may find it easier to recruit help for General Elections if they are also going to be able to vote.
I doubt the outcome of an election would change much as it would would only mean about a million or so potential electors, spread over the UK and of course would not all vote the same way. It may also help to balance in a small way the increasing numbers of electors in the older age group. It may also balance the feeling the Government is against the young, in increasing the age for various things (except in one area effecting a minority of the population), comments about 'Youths in Hoodies', 'Overweight young people', 'Binge drinking', pushing for the further education, and so on. It may even reduce or reverse the fall in people voting in elections, by catching peoples interest at a young age and maybe even holding on to some of it. Ian
I understand that the Government wants to show how seriously it takes the damage to health of smoking, in the past comments have been made that the Government does not have any interest in reducing smoking as the tax on a packet of cigarettes is about 75% of the total cost.
The problem as I see it, is that the Government wants 'young people' to become more responsible, but increases the age limit for purchasing certain items, perhaps they need to offer something back. I feel reducing the voting age to 16 will not cause any harm and may have some benefits. There is a General Election about every 4 years on average, (up to the 5 years maximum) so the first General Election that someone could be when they are 22-23 a time when they are living their life and have managed without politics, so why would they bother about it. If reduced to 16 it would take the first General Election say to 20-21 and a number before leaving school or college, a time when people are more interested in politics so the Parties may find it easier to recruit help for General Elections if they are also going to be able to vote.
I doubt the outcome of an election would change much as it would would only mean about a million or so potential electors, spread over the UK and of course would not all vote the same way. It may also help to balance in a small way the increasing numbers of electors in the older age group. It may also balance the feeling the Government is against the young, in increasing the age for various things (except in one area effecting a minority of the population), comments about 'Youths in Hoodies', 'Overweight young people', 'Binge drinking', pushing for the further education, and so on. It may even reduce or reverse the fall in people voting in elections, by catching peoples interest at a young age and maybe even holding on to some of it. Ian
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