Ministers press on with plan for voting at 16

Paul Waugh|Evening Standard Whitehall Editor13 April 2012

Labour is set to press ahead with plans to lower the voting age to 16 despite the idea being rejected by the electoral watchdog.

Ministers are determined to discuss the radical move at this year's party conference with a view to including it in the election manifesto.

The Electoral Commission came out against giving the vote to 16-year-olds last month after a year-long inquiry concluded there was no case for the proposal. The idea was widely expected to die but it is claimed today that Labour wants to carry on regardless because it is popular with party activists.

If ministers did go ahead, it would represent the biggest clash to date with the Electoral Commission and undermine t he wat chdo g ' s credibility. It was set up by Labour in the last Parliament to oversee voting rules and legislation and has proved its independence over issues such as plans to use all-postal ballots for regional referendums.

The Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, and Commons Leader Peter Hain are strong backers of lowering the voting age and Tony Blair is said to support the idea despite initial reservations.

A Labour official said the commission's report last month came too late to prevent "votes at 16" being discussed-during the party's grassroots policy-making process. It will therefore be on the agenda for the annual conference in Brighton.

A Labour spokesman said: "The commission does not have a veto. We will listen carefully to what it said and we will take account of its arguments. But we will make our own decision."

The idea's supporters claim it will tackle voter apathy and ministers are keen to combat the real threat posed by the

But in its inquiry, the commission found not enough youngsters wanted the franchise. It concluded that although 16-year-olds can marry and join the Army, they need the permission of their parents and these rights were not comparable with voting.

Chairman Sam Younger said he would revisit the proposal in seven years and stressed his finding was not binding on the Government.