The Labour Party in the UK may gain votes with their plan to change the voting age to 16 years old for the next election.Thursday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the Labour Party announced the change telling ITV News, "I think it's really important that 16 and 17 year olds have the vote, because they are old enough to go out to work, they are old enough to pay taxes, so pay in."Reported by the Daily Mail, this decision has been criticized because there will be an added 1.5 million in the age bracket, which could add up to 500,000 votes — many of whom support the Labour Party.Starmer says this is an attempt to "'modernise our democracy," claiming he wants to mirror the voting standards of Scotland and Wales. .Conservative shadow minister Paul Holmes comments, "This is a brazen attempt by the Labour Party, whose unpopularity is scaring them into making major constitutional changes without consultation and it shows with their inconsistent approach to what a young person can or can't do."Holmes remarked similarly in the Commons, "'Why does this Government think a 16 year old can vote but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket, an alcoholic drink, marry, or go to war, or even stand in the elections they're voting in?"Merlin Strategy polled 500 youth, and 49% said they disagreed with the decision. Only 18% said they would definitely cast a ballot and 13% said they would not participate..Another survey byt ITV News, polling youth discovered 33% of teenagers would vote Labour and only 10% would vote Conservative.
