Voting age should not be lowered

MEP Paul Nuttall, UKIP deputy leader

The voting age should not be lowered from 18 to 16, says deputy UKIP leader Paul Nuttall.

"Sixteen-year-olds do not have enough life experience to make sound judgements when voting and consequently I am against reducing the age limit."

Mr Nuttall, North West MEP, expressed his views just days after Labour leader Ed Miliband called for the voting age in all elections to be reduced by two years.

"It is perfectly obvious why Labour have committed to introducing this measure within a year of taking power - naive youngsters tend to have Utopian dreams of life and can be more gullible.

"They are also subjected to pro-EU propaganda lessons which is a ethically wrong and is also an abuse of taxpayers money.

"As they grow older and experience first hand making their way in the world they are better able to make reasoned judgements.

"I personally believe that all secondary school children should be taught about our political system in an unbiased way as currently so many leave school without any idea of how it works and what the different parties stand for.

"There is no doubt that young people should be encouraged to vote, after all today's changes affect their tomorrows, but instead of lowering the age limit they should be properly educated about the relevance of politics to their lives," he said.