David's Daily Diversions

Never Too Young

The Electoral Commission is set to propose that the voting age in the UK be lowered to 16. The only other country in Europe to allow voters this young in national elections is Bosnia.

According to the results of a Mori poll, this would give Labour an extra 400 votes per constituency. A survey last year of 16- and 17-year-olds found that of those who expressed a preference, 60% supported Labour.

I actually expect this percentage to rise. Given that New Labour indoctrinating Citizenship is a required subject at school from age 4 to age 16, I expect little left-of-centre minds to be unleased on the voting booths of this country. The age will not be lowered until the General Election after the next one - probably 2009. That means that the 16-year-olds then will have had seven years of Citizenship.

For Americans who may be confused (or Brits who have no idea what is be done with their education system), Citizenship is not just about political literacy. It is not American-style Civics or Government. It promotes environmentalism and globalism. Being a "good citizen" means holding certain values in the spirit of this Age.

Tony Blair has taken very effective steps toward insuring that the election of 1997 represented a shift, not just in politics, but in the political spectrum. This is just another one of those steps.