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ERS in the Press – March 2020

These are difficult and uncertain times, with the coronavirus pandemic shutting down most normal activity in politics and across the country this month. Despite the disruption, we’ve been campaigning the most democratic and safe Parliamentary...

Posted 06 Apr 2020

England, give young people the vote like your neighbours

If you were a 16 or 17-year-old is Scotland, you probably felt quite annoyed at being left out of December’s General Election. If it had been a Scottish Parliament or Local Council Election you would have...

Posted 29 Jan 2020

A generation in England and Northern Ireland are being left behind

The campaign for a fairer franchise just secured a major victory

16 and 17 year olds in Wales have officially secured the right to vote for Senedd elections, after a crucial piece of legislation received Royal Assent on Wednesday. 16 and 17 year olds in Wales...

Posted 15 Jan 2020

Legislation introduced to extend the right to vote to 16 and 17 year olds in Wales

Devolution to Wales has meant that we do a number of things differently from other parts of the UK. From having distinct policies around tuition fees for Welsh students heading to university, to bringing forward...

Posted 12 Feb 2019

Votes for 16 and 17 year olds in Scotland, Wales… and overseas?

What connects people with Irish, Kiribatian or New Zealand passports? They can all vote in UK general elections if they have (or don’t need) leave to remain in the UK. Who votes in UK elections...

Posted 17 Oct 2018

Wales is leading the way in building a better democracy, Westminster should take note

There’s been plenty of talk at Conservative conference of how to win back young voters. But so far there has been little policy detail. What’s happening in Wales might provide some inspiration. This Tuesday, the...

Posted 02 Oct 2018

The Tories should trust young people

Cecilia George is a former Member of Youth Parliament for Wiltshire and wrote this piece for our pamphlet Civic Duty The Conservative Case for votes at 16 and 17. 16–year–olds are deemed mature enough to join the...

Posted 25 Aug 2018

My dad would have been ready to vote at 16, and today’s young people are too

Lisa Francis is the former Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales and wrote this piece for our pamphlet Civic Duty The Conservative Case for votes at 16 and 17. Last year, my dad died at the...

Posted 24 Aug 2018

Scotland shows that votes at 16 works

Miles Briggs MSP, Member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothian wrote this piece for our pamphlet Civic Duty The Conservative Case for votes at 16 and 17. Arguments for and against votes at 16 are often highly subjective....

Posted 23 Aug 2018

Britain’s democratic story is unfinished – let’s write the next chapter

Sir Peter Bottomley MP, the Member of Parliament for Worthing West wrote this piece for our pamphlet Civic Duty The Conservative Case for votes at 16 and 17. “What it means to be a truly democratic...

Posted 22 Aug 2018