Election Year or Fear!

[SithHappens]

It's a minefield really. My plan is to have little to leave if we can both enjoy life to a ripe old age. That said, and it seems stupid when you think of it, but my life expectancy was 16 years based on the average when I got my blood cancer diagnosis which was ermmmm 12 years ago.

We really do need to sort. And that's a good point about the future.

We would want to leave any money to our great nephews and nieces, skipping a generation because they are all doing very well financially.

I definitely don't want a situation like our friends daughter did. Her partner and dad to her son died when her son was a baby. He was killed in an accident and a lot of money was put in a trust for when he was 18. It was set up in a way though they could apply to get money out of it to buy things he might need while growing up. She got a new partner and they pretty much drained it over the years buying computers etc then selling them for beer money.

Then when he was 18 he just cleared off on holiday with what was left and paid for all his mates too.

What a waste.

[MadAmster]

Remember, the Epstein story was never about a list. It was about young girls being abused by rich, powerful men and a system that allows them to get away with it.

[SithHappens]

Not comfortable with labour suspending MP'S who voted against a bill. Surely having people who challenge decisions is a good thing? Bet they wouldn't do it if the majority was smaller.

[SithHappens]

So the voting age being reduced to 16 for the next Election. Who will this benefit most? politically I mean rather than those who can now vote.

Certainly under corbyn this would benefit labour. Does starmers labour have the same appeal?

Farage is furious about it, but apparently 20% of 16 year olds polled say they will vote reform.

Apparently half say they don't even want to vote, which stacks up after the remain supporting under 25's chose not to vote in the same numbers as the older generations.

I cant say I was interested when I was 16, maybe if Kelly le Brock had been standing i might have been.

I did vote at 18, my wife was in her 30s before she bothered, my 30 plus nephews and nieces wouldn't know a polling booth from a phone booth, neither of which they have probably ever been in.

Farage says it's about rigging the vote, but surely at 16 , if you are interested enough to vote your opinion should matter?

[ramAnag]

Difficult one Sith. I know plenty of older people who, imo, aren’t fit to vote and I think democracy is always flawed because of the ignorance of the electorate, but it’s still probably better than the alternative.
Imo, at 16 you’re old enough to enlist in the armed services and old enough to work full time so I don’t think it’s unreasonable for 16 year olds to have the vote…besides anything that enrages that b@st@rd Farage and gets his blood pressure up to being on a par with mine is okay with me.

[SithHappens]

Tough one. I think my parents reason for voting leave were totally flawed but even so they had as much right as me to vote.

I'm not keen on judging people's capabilities to do something on their old age but I get what you mean.

We will all get old, hopefully, I hope my view is as relevant at 80 as it is today.

But yeah annoy Farage, maybe starmer should grant those seeking asylum the vote..Just to see farages head explode.

[ramAnag]

Tough one. I think my parents reason for voting leave were totally flawed but even so they had as much right as me to vote.

I'm not keen on judging people's capabilities to do something on their old age but I get what you mean.

We will all get old, hopefully, I hope my view is as relevant at 80 as it is today.

But yeah annoy Farage, maybe starmer should grant those seeking asylum the vote..Just to see farages head explode.

I didn’t actually mean ‘older’ quite like that, I just meant older than 16, but now you mention it, that too is a good point.
I’m sure there are many 16-17 year olds who won’t have a clue what they’re voting for or are motivated only by self interest but, imo, we already have plenty of them who happen to be somewhere between 18 and the end of the road.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Sith - you ask "who will this benefit politically?". I think the answer would be the party introducing it. If they didn't think it wouldn't increase their share of the vote, it would never have got past first base. It's all about self interest and nothing to do with democracy.

Wait till Farage gets in and introduces a rule that everyone gets 1 vote for each year of their age.

[MadAmster]

There's some folk saying 16 and 17 year olds aren't experienced/intelligent enough to warrant having a vote. I've seen others saying the over 80s are all senile and advocating a maximum voting age.

Personally, I think the % of people "not worthy of a vote" is pretty much the same at whatever age level.

[Trickytreesreds]

Pure desperation on a Labour party, falling apart at the seams

No policies going anywhere, manifesto and total bag of lies, stabbing each other in the back, no control over anything economically. No control over the borders and now implicated as big an accessory as the Tories over the Afghan cover up. The man has now allowed the worlds worst airline back here, without even getting his returns deal over the line.
I suspect, this is Afghan related as well. Cats out the bag, with the RAF flights, so the Afghans in Pakistan can now fly direct from Islamabad and not have any awkward questions to answer witht he indirect routes.

After changing the mayoral elections away from first past the post, this is his latest scam to try and rig things. It wont work, folks despise him and his party. He pols lower than Meghan Markle and 60% of those who voted Labour wont be doing so again.

Crash and burn coming. Both Labour and the Tories have dug a massive hole this time. Time to fill that hole in with a bull dozer