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Young People & Politics
Young People & Politics
Young People & Politics
This policy paper has been produced by Labours Better Politics Policy Commission, following consultation on the challenge paper of the same title. We have considered submissions received in response to the challenge paper, and this paper sets out the direction of travel that the Policy Commission considers appropriate in the light of what we have learned to date, and contains options for further consideration, on which we welcome your views. The options presented are designed to draw out the priorities of Labour Party members, affiliates, external organisations and the public on issues of importance. Following consultation, a meeting of Labours National Policy Forum in Summer 2013 will discuss how best to take forward any outstanding issues.
Introduction
One Nation politics is about creating a country where everyone has a stake. In an era of difficult choices it is more important than ever that politics is a collective endeavour, that power is distributed fairly, that vested interests are tackled, and that people are given inuence over the decisions that affect their lives. Too often people in Britain have felt that politicians do not listen to them, and are out of touch with those they seek to represent. We need to take action to prevent the current cynicism around our political system from becoming a full blown crisis in political engagement. Our model of representative democracy seeks engagement from all its citizens. A strong, healthy system requires all to be involved, whatever their age, gender or background. Submissions the Policy Commission received in response to this challenge paper demonstrated that there is an increasing sense that we need to change the way that politics works to rebuild trust and condence.
Taking action to increase young peoples engagement in our political system forms a crucial part of this. Labour must work to deepen and extend democracy so that everyone is able to inuence the decisions that affect them.
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There was widespread support in the submissions for the idea that political education and the wider topic of citizenship is a prime factor in engaging young people in politics. There is widespread recognition that young people are not universally apathetic about or disengaged from political issues, as recent examples such as tuition fees have demonstrated. Submissions have demonstrated that young people care about issues, whether it is housing, jobs or education, to name but a few. Yet they are increasingly disengaged from traditional political structures. We need to change our way of doing things to address this. This includes looking at the issue of lowering the voting age to sixteen and other methods of involving young people in the decision-making processes that affect them.
It was argued that low turn-out of younger people at elections might be addressed by engaging them earlier in the political process and forming a voting habit at a young age. The current situation with the lowering of the voting age to 16 for the forthcoming Scottish referendum both sets the scene for Labour to bring forward proposals in this area but also demonstrates some of the issues around its implementation. The Labour Party must ensure that when examining this issue that it learns lessons from the experience in Scotland. Some submissions have suggested that young people should have a greater opportunity to be involved in the decision-making processes that affect them, at local and national level. It has been raised in submissions to the Commission that the best way of learning is through doing and we should promote active citizenship as an everyday occupation. Lowering the voting age would allow young people to exercise what they have learnt and close the gap between political education at school and reaching the age of majority.
Lowering the voting age and increasing involvement in the decision-making process Many respondents to the challenge paper made reference to lowering the voting age. There was a high level of support in the submissions for lowering the voting age to sixteen although some groups felt that this should happen alongside increased citizenship education. Labour must be relevant, must give young people a real voice, and should lower the voting age to 16 UNISON
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Please make your submissions on this and other policy documents at yourbritain.org.uk.