The Labour Party of the UK has decided to lower the voting age to 16 from 18 years. In many other countries, the same idea circles around the nations, and in local elections is already state of the art. The UK`s Labour Party decided on this new move as it is in favour of them for the next election. The Youth is seen as more progressive and is more likely to vote for Labour, rather than the Conservatives, the Green Party, or Reform UK.
Medically, there is no scientific proof that the brain of a 16-year-old person is more mature than of a 14-year-old or a ten or twelve-year-old person in its capacity to make informed decisions. It is a general perception to believe humans of a certain age are capable of making adult decisions, seeing the fact that humans are different at all times; some are more mature than their peers due to many personal factors. For years in Germany 16teen year 16-year-olds can start learning to drive cars with the assistance of experienced drivers by their side, such as their parents or friends with a driving licence and over 18 years of age. The UK has a system of a red L, the Learners driving plate.
When a society opens up the path to earlier voting at the age of 16, the same society must consider that criminal offenders will sooner or later have to face the full force of the law. Currently, in these countries, criminal offenders under the age of 18 are in court treated as juveniles with lesser sentencing compared to criminals over the age of 18. The supporters of voting at age 16 seem not to consider the wider implications of their demand and idea. A person allowed to drive at age 16 fully being part of the traffic system with potential deadly accidents and harm done to fellow citizens and in addition to it now able to make a very responsible decision by voting candidates into parliament who decide about the future of a nation are the demonstration and evidence they can be declared as full adults under the law subsequently in court been sentenced by adult law with the full force of the law system. The chain of logic is hard to break into pieces to taste.
When these young offenders share the same jail cells with older inmates, the teachings of serious criminals will raise who become idols and friends to the young offenders who otherwise in some cases, could have been saved from a criminal career. For simple political party gains, a society puts its future security at risk.
