The minimum age to become a member of parliament is 21 but soon,
due a recommendation by the Electoral Commission, it could be
lowered to 18.
Do our teenagers really want to become MPs though? The average
teenager seems more interested in sex and music, but this is
exactly what the Electoral Commission wants to combat. By
getting more young people involved in politics they hope to
raise enthusiasm in voting, making young people see that it's
not just men in their fifties who are elected to represent them.
There are many arguments yet to be had, for and against the
idea. To many it would make sense that if a person can vote at
18 they should also be able to stand for office. 18 is fast
becoming the year of "coming of age", with 21st birthdays
holding little significance other than for the riotous parties.
The youth of Britain deserves a voice and representation just as
much as any other age group. Although an 18, or even a 16, year
old would have little comparative experience of life and
politics to a 40 year old, their experience is far different and
no less valuable. Our politicians should represent a cross
section of British life, in sex, race and age.
On the negative side, few adults are likely to trust teenagers
with decisions of national importance. Selection committees will
always favour experienced candidates: the age barrier is
currently set at twenty one, but how many MPs under 30 can you
find in the House of Commons? Very few. Finding the right
candidates can be a tough job, but when those rare people come
along their age should not work against them.
The Conservative Party is considered the party of freedom and
choice. They back making the minimum age for candidates 18.
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