Shamina Begum - too young to know what she was doing according to some,but fit to vote on Brexit?

A stairway to Heaven and a Highway to Hell give some indication of expected traffic numbers

And indeed in a UK election. This has been the case for many years, long pre-dating the UK and the RoI joining the 'Common Market'. Citizens of Commonwealth countries resident in the UK can also vote in UK elections. In effect, Irish citizens living in the UK are for this purpose treated as though the RoI was in the Commonwealth.

Edited by YT (29 Oct 2019 9.36pm)

Palace since 19 August 1972. Palace 1 (Tony Taylor) Liverpool 1 (Emlyn Hughes)

Ok. I don’t want to get into an expat spat over this. I was responding to Badgers point, which was this;

“someone might want to check how expats are treated in the rest of the EU.” Which I took to be British (only) nationals abroad.

Bonne nuit.

But you think 16 year olds should?

Comedy gold.

My voice, must be heard!

Got that from Bercow.

Trump lost. Badly. Hahahahahahaha.

That has to be the clincher hasn't it?

Something unquestionably sits instinctively slightly uncomfortably with me about the idea of 16-years-olds having enough understanding - as a (unfairly?) generalised group - to sensibly discern whom to vote for, but that's not good enough, is it? If we're going to take money from someone then we damn well better give them a say on how it's spent. If we don't like that then leave their money alone.

Also, we've all encountered plenty of 18+ unutterable bellends who are entitled to vote and there's scant complaint there. (Furthermore, what about all the apparently incapable geriatrics that worry so many about their ability to drive? - should they be allowed to vote? If their faculties are so shot, I mean.)

I reckon we need simply to suck it up and take it upon ourselves to try to encourage 16 and 17-year-olds to engage and take a comprehensive interest in current affairs and politics. (Inasmuch as people do generally, anyhow.)

Either that or we all have to sit a test beforehand in order to try to achieve a passing grade entitling a vote. (That could be rather fun actually. If only to inspire an exciting fresh set of conspiracy theories.)

What's the war-fighting age, by the way? (That's always raised.) 16? If so, then there's no argument, surely. (And if it's 18 then maybe 16-year-olds should only be allowed to vote if they absolutely promise to shoot at a nasty foreign-looking type on their way to the polling booth?)

As a woman, I can step aside, or step up my game...