There’s growing talk that the Labour Party might quietly drop its promise to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote, and it’s all because of a surprising reason—many of those young people are showing support for Nigel Farage and his Reform UK party. Sarah Pochin, who recently won a by-election and became the newest MP for Reform UK, said she was shocked by how many teenagers were excited about Farage. She explained that while walking around housing estates, groups of young people aged 16, 17, and 18 would run up to take selfies with him and talk about politics. She found it unusual because in her ten years in politics, she had never seen so many young people so involved and enthusiastic about a party leader.
Pochin believes that if Labour sees this growing trend of young people supporting Farage, they may change their mind about letting 16 and 17-year-olds vote. She thinks Labour assumed younger voters would naturally support them, but that may not be the case anymore. If more of these teenagers are leaning towards Farage and Reform UK, giving them the right to vote might actually hurt Labour’s chances in future elections.
However, the Government is saying otherwise. A spokesperson said that they are still committed to lowering the voting age, as promised in their previous manifesto. They explained that they’re working with local governments and other groups to make sure everything is ready to bring in the change. They also said the goal is to have the new rules in place in plenty of time before the next general election.
Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, told Members of Parliament just last month that the plan to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote will definitely happen. This means, officially, Labour still supports the idea—but Pochin’s comments raise questions about whether they might change their minds behind the scenes if they believe it no longer benefits them politically.
Meanwhile, a new poll by Survation showed that Labour is still the most popular party among voters aged 18 to 24. According to the poll, 35% of young people in this age group said they would vote for Labour if an election were held now. Reform UK came in second with 21%, followed by the Conservatives at 17% and the Green Party at 15%. So even though Labour still leads among young adult voters, the rise in support for Farage among teenagers is making some in the political world nervous. It shows that young people are paying attention and getting more involved in politics, but not always in the way parties expect.
