This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/voting-age-theresa-may-david-lidington-under-18-pmqs-maturity-responsibility-tory-a8187091.html

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Theresa May deputy says under-18s lack 'maturity and responsibility' needed to vote Theresa May deputy says under-18s lack 'maturity and responsibility' needed to vote
(35 minutes later)
Young people aged 16 and 17 lack the "maturity and responsibility" needed to vote, the de facto deputy prime minister has said. Young people aged 16 and 17 lack the "maturity and responsibility" needed to vote, the de facto deputy prime minister has suggested.
In a move likely to anger young people demanding the right to vote, David Lidington dismissed calls for the voting age to be lowered to 16.In a move likely to anger young people demanding the right to vote, David Lidington dismissed calls for the voting age to be lowered to 16.
The Cabinet Office minister and unofficial deputy prime minister was stepping in for Theresa May, who is in China, at Prime Minister’s Questions. The Cabinet Office minister and unofficial deputy prime minister was standing in for Theresa May, who is in China, at Prime Minister’s Questions.
He was responding to a question from Emily Thornberry, standing in for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, about why the Government refuses to reduce the voting age to 16. Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, taking the place of Jeremy Corbyn, called the Government a "coalition of cavemen".
In response to his answer, Ms Thornberry accused the Government of being a “coalition of cavemen”. She had asked why the Government refuses to lower the voting age, pointing out that 16-year-olds are allowed to leave home, start a family, marry, work pay taxes and join the army but are still denied the right to vote.
More follows… In response, Mr Lidington said: "The logic of the argument is that she wishes to lower the age of majority from 18 to 16. She listed a number of areas in which she supported the age at which activities should be allowed to 18 on grounds that only then could people be expected to have sufficient majority and responsibility to have those rights.
"My argument to her is that the age of majority should be set matching both rights and responsibility and I think it's perfectly to say that from the 18, we entrust young men and women to exercise those rights and responsibilities in full."
Earlier in the exchange, Mr Lidington said: "The age of 18 rather than 16 is widely recognised as the age at which one becomes an adult, and that is when full citizenship rights are obtained.
Saying only a few countries allow people younger than 18 to vote, he added.
Ms Thornberry referred the The Independent's revelation that the number of young carers has rocketed in recent years, Ms Thornberry said many of them have to take on great responsibilities but are still denied the right to vote.
More follows...