My Future, My Say: The Case for Votes at 16

Across the UK, whether or not you’re able to vote at 16 depends entirely on where you live. In Scotland and Wales, 16- and 17-year-olds can vote in local and devolved elections. In England and Northern Ireland, they can’t. This uneven system creates a postcode lottery for youth representation, where some young people have a say in decisions shaping their lives, and others are shut out completely. 

This matters for all kinds of reasons, but especially when it comes to the two issues that define our future more than any other: climate and education. From the impacts of extreme weather to the state of our classrooms, young people are already experiencing the consequences of decisions made without us, and these consequences will only deepen over time.

We’re told we’re the leaders of tomorrow, but that’s not good enough. Young people are already leading climate strikes, organising campaigns, lobbying MPs, and pushing for change in schools and communities – so why are we still being denied the vote?

We’re also the ones who have the most at stake. The climate crisis is not a distant threat – it’s happening now, and it’s our generation who will live through the worst of it. Despite this, the majority of decisions around climate policy are made without our input. Many of the politicians voting on fossil fuel licences or education reforms will be long gone before any of the changes actually play out. We won’t be.

It’s not just climate, either. Education policy affects us directly, every single day; yet young people are consistently sidelined from decisions about what and how we learn. That’s one of the reasons that Teach the Future exists: to push for a curriculum that reflects the reality we’re living in, and the future we’re preparing for. Lowering the voting age is one clear step towards making sure those affected by these decisions actually have a say in them.

Some argue that young people aren’t mature or engaged enough to vote, but the evidence tells a different story. For example, the Youth Shadow Panel’s interim report suggests that young people care deeply about climate justice, equality, education and the kind of world we want to grow up in. Anyone can see that youth-led movements are changing the national conversation on climate. Student-led campaigns have fought for racial justice, mental health support, and inclusive education. When we’re given the opportunity, young people can engage fully – but under the current system, we lack power, not passion.

A truly democratic system should reflect all of its people, especially those who will be most affected by the decisions being made. And yet, in two parts of the UK, young people under 18 are entirely excluded from the democratic process. This structural silencing of young people reinforces the idea that we don’t matter, even when we’re at the centre of the policies being debated.

Lowering the voting age to 16 across the UK is not a radical idea, it’s already happening in parts of the country. It’s been recommended by countless youth organisations and politicians, and it’s time to make it a reality everywhere.

Climate change and education will affect our futures, so it’s only fair that we have a say in shaping them. Lowering the voting age is not the only step towards youth justice, but it’s a crucial one, and it’s long overdue.