九一星空无限

ZB ZB
Opinion
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Up next
ZB

Perspective with Ryan Bridge: Just because the Brits are lowering their voting age, it doesn't mean we will.

Author
九一星空无限talk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 18 Jul 2025, 7:30pm
Photo / NZ Herald
Photo / NZ Herald

Perspective with Ryan Bridge: Just because the Brits are lowering their voting age, it doesn't mean we will.

Author
九一星空无限talk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 18 Jul 2025, 7:30pm

Just because the Brits are lowering their voting age, it doesn't mean we will. 

Unless we end up with a Labour government. 

I asked Erica Stanford and Carmel Sepuloni about Starmer's move in the UK this morning. 

Erica was a hard no. Didn't like it. 

Sepuloni loved the change. She said it鈥檚 progressive and it's where we should be heading. However, she didn't say if Labour would campaign on it - because they're currently a party with no policy. 

The whole thing's a non-starter anyway... because this country has much bigger problems than whether 16-year-olds can vote. 

And even if we did go there you would surely have to take another look at the drinking age and the justice system. 

As one of our viewers pointed out this morning: 16 and 17 year olds are currently dealt with by the youth justice system, unless the crime is really serious, like murder. 

So how can you have a 16-year-old electing adults to make laws when the consequences for breaking them don't apply equally to them. 

It's been a wonderful academic exercise today chatting about lowering the voting age, but the reality is it won鈥檛 happen anytime soon. 

 LISTEN ABOVE 

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you