The voting age will be lowered to 16 in the UK by the next general election in a major change of the democratic system.
The government said it was a reform to bring in more fairness for 16- and 17-year-olds, many of whom already work and are able to serve in the military. It brings the whole of the UK voting age to 16. Scotland and Wales have already made the change for Holyrood and Senedd elections.
In a sweeping package of changes, ministers will also extend voter ID to include bank and veterans’ cards to help more people exercise their democratic right.
As revealed by the Guardian, there will also be tougher new rules to guard against foreign political interference and abuse of candidates.
The move to extend the voting franchise fulfils a manifesto promise by Labour to give 16- and 17-year-olds the vote.
The package also appears to be taking steps towards encouraging more voter registration. Although it does not commit to entirely automatic voter registration, the government said it would move to an “increasingly automated voter registration system” that will reduce the need to fill out tdetails across different government services on multiple occasions.
Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, said: “For too long public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline.
“We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that will ensure more people have the opportunity to engage in UK democracy, supporting our plan for change, and delivering on our manifesto commitment to give 16-year-olds the right to vote.
“We cannot take our democracy for granted, and by protecting our elections from abuse and boosting participation we will strengthen the foundations of our society for the future.”