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Editor's factfile: Tuesday April 26
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| Craig Hoy: Charting the campaign course |
Why can't 16-year-old taxpayers vote for the government who will, after all, set their taxes?
Despite a strong lobbying exercise in recent years the age at which adults can vote in the general election remains at 18.
Some, including the Electoral Reform Society, have called for the 'age of majority' to be reduced to 16.
They claim it is wrong that young people can legitimately pay income tax, work and join the armed forces, but cannot cast their vote.
Tony Blair has repeatedly said that he is unpersuaded of this argument.
In his defence anyone who buys anything is a taxpayer so to use that as a sole criteria for enfranchisement could dramatically alter the pool of electors.
The government, however, is not opposed to change entirely.
Following a review ministers have conceded that the age of candidature, which is currently 21, should be reduced in line with the voting age.
As a result the government is committed to reducing the age at which individuals can stand for parliament or local councils to 18.
The Liberal Democrats have backed a reduction in the voting age to 16, but with Labour and the Conservatives resisting the move, it is unlikely to happen.
Given the four to five year electoral cycle, an income taxpayer who is 17 years and 364 days old on May 5 could be forced to wait until he is 22 before being able to elect the government who will spend the revenue raised through his efforts.
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