The Lords has backed giving 16 and 17 year-olds the vote in the upcoming in-out EU referendum. The move was championed by Welsh Labour peer Eluned Morgan, the former MEP who was once the youngest member of the European Parliament. The latest defeat inflicted on the Government saw the Lords vote by 293 to 211 to approve the change. If the Government allows the move to stand it would see some 1.5 million 16 and 17 year-olds eligible to take part in the referendum due to take place by the end of 2017.
Speaking ahead of the vote, Baroness Morgan insisted that lowering the voting age was a necessary one-off measure which could be organised in time for a national poll from next September onwards.
Ms Morgan said that evidence showed that more 16 and 17 year-olds had voted in last year’s Scottish independence referendum than 18-24 year-olds.
Full Article: Supporters of giving the vote to the 16-plus population score victory in the Lords – Wales Online.