It wasn’t 16-year-olds who asked for the vote
The arguments as to why under-18s should get a say in the referendum fall apart when you take a look at them, writes
of young people able to vote for a nation’s right to selfdetermination, while the same young people, in their daily lives, are less able to determine their own selves. Voting for an independent nation does not, it seems, require independent people.
The hypocrisy of extending the vote to a group who haven’t asked for it while stripping away their personal freedoms is breathtaking.
People argue that 16-year-olds are independent and so must be given the vote. They are allowed to marry, for example. But they have been able to marry at 16 for a long time and were not given the vote previously, and noticeably, in England and Wales 16-year-olds can get married, but only with parental consent. The reality is that in the real world only around 2 per cent of under 20-year-olds (let alone 16-year-olds) do actually get married at this age. This compares with previous generations, when marrying young was relatively common.
“But 16-year-olds can join the army”, it is argued, so surely they should be given the vote. But again, yes, they can join the army, but they are not allowed to fight until they are 18. They are treated differently to other soldiers, who only at a later date are seen as fully responsible for their decisions. Indeed, this fits with the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, something Scottish politicians generally celebrate, which defines childhood as belonging to lives, or from wider society demanding democratic reform. Rather, it would appear that it is politicians who have almost single-handedly elevated the status of 16-year-olds.
But instead of this being understood as an enlightened reflection of the independent nature of young people, it smacks more of a patronising form of “empowerment” – that weasel word of modern times which embodies the Brown Having enjoyed a recent fashion come back, this modern design yet tra ditional Montgomer y s atchel will be the per fec t accessor y to your autumn wardrobe. Hand-made in England using high - qualit y grade leather the classic design features a spacious sin gle inter nal compar tment with double buckle front fas tenin g, identific ation holder and adjus table len gth shoulder s trap. A Montgomer y s atchel is made to las t for many years, even with regular use, making i t the ideal bag for work or leisu re and the per fec t reminder of your childhoo d school days. Available i n a choice of two sizes; small and medium and i n a choice of five colours; brown, tan, black, nav y and red . Measurements: Small – W27 x H20 x D5cm. Medium – W35 x H24.5 x D10cm oxymoronic nature of many of our new descriptions of things.
This is a patronising form of inclusion, indeed, an infantilisation of the importance of voting itself: Something that is to be given to a section of society who are largely still at school, or dependent on their parents, and have not had, of yet, to make or take any truly independent decisions in their lives.
What is ultimately reflected in the lowering of the voting age is a diminution of the importance of politics itself. A process that developed in the 1990s with condescending campaigns such as Rock the Vote: It doesn’t matter who you vote for, just get out there and vote, kids! And ends with indistinguishable political parties in Scotland kowtowing to the idea of 16-year-old children being given the vote, lest they be seen as old- fashioned and not on side with today’s yoof. l Stuart Waiton is founder of T ake a Liberty (Scotland) and author of Scared of the Kids? Curfews, crime and the regulation of youth Size Small Medium Brown D6760 D6765 Tan D6761 D6766 Black D6762 D6767 Nav y D6763 D6768
Red D676 4 D6769 RRP £ 105 £ 115 Price £ 79.99 £89.99