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Should people be allowed to vote at 16?

Pictured clockwise from left are Douglas Green, Chris Thomas, Chris Maughan, Paul Galley, Lauren Anderson and Nicole Burke.

Pictured clockwise from left are Douglas Green, Chris Thomas, Chris Maughan, Paul Galley, Lauren Anderson and Nicole Burke.

  • by Alex Ross
 

That is the question which has caused uproar ever since it was announced youngsters in Scotland would be able to vote in the next referendum on independence.

At the moment, 16-year-olds can pay taxes, get married and join the Army, but are banned when it comes to the ballot box.

The question has produced a mixed response on the Fylde coast from youngsters involved in politics.

Student Nicole Burke, 18, chairman of Blackpool Young People’s Council, said: “We are able to do so many things at 16 and we should be allowed to vote.

“There’s a big argument about when children become an adult.

“You can be classed as an adult for a lot of different reasons and it doesn’t make sense to class you as an adult for one thing then say you can’t vote. There should be one age where you become an adult and from that point you can do everything an adult is entitled to do.”

HAVE YOUR SAY IN OUR DAILY NEWS POLL TO THE RIGHT OF THE ARTICLE.

Laurence Hancock, operations manager at the Boathouse Youth in South Shore, also says 16-year-olds are mature enough to vote.

He added: “I completely agree with people who say they should be able to vote when the law says they can join the Army and pay tax.

“If they are paying money to the Government it should be fine to give them the vote.

“There are a lot of people who don’t have jobs at 16 but are mature enough to have their say.”

But Fleetwood youth councillor Paige Darlington, 16, says the age should remain as it is.

She added: “I’m too busy with work to think about voting and there’s not enough being done in schools to teach young people about what they need to do.”

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