Issue - meetings

Notice of the following motion has been given by Councillor Clark, seconded by Councillor Harvey:

"This Council supports reducing the voting age to 16 and agrees that our worshipful Mayor should write an open letter to the Prime Minister urging her to introduce legislation to reduce the voting age to 16.”

We believe that encouraging participation in the political process is a valuable means of engaging young people in modern society and note proposals in both the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament for a reduction of the voting age to 16, along with cross party support at Kent County Council.  We recognise the important contribution of 16 and 17 year olds to the Scottish Independence referendum and believe that the young people of Maidstone should also play a role in determining the future of their borough and country.

The following motion was moved by Councillor Clark, seconded by Councillor Harvey:

"This Council supports reducing the voting age to 16 and agrees that our worshipful Mayor should write an open letter to the Prime Minister urging her to introduce legislation to reduce the voting age to 16.”

The Mayor said that he considered it convenient and conducive to the despatch of business that the motion be dealt with at this meeting, and that a factual briefing note had been circulated.

Amendment moved by Councillor M Burton, seconded by Councillor D Burton, that the motion be amended to read:

That this Council supports reducing the voting age to 16 and agrees that the Chair of a relevant committee should write an open letter to the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Education and our own local MPs, urging them not just to work to bring forward legislation to reduce the voting age to 16, but also to investigate, report on and implement proper economic and political education for all.

The mover and the seconder of the motion indicated that they accepted the amendments to the motion.

The substantive motion was then put to the vote.

SUBSTANTIVE MOTION CARRIED

RESOLVED:  That this Council supports reducing the voting age to 16 and agrees that the Chair of a relevant committee should write an open letter to the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Education and our own local MPs, urging them not just to work to bring forward legislation to reduce the voting age to 16, but also to investigate, report on and implement proper economic and political education for all.

Notice of the following motion has been given by Councillor Clark, seconded by Councillor Harvey:

"This Council supports reducing the voting age to 16 and agrees that our worshipful Mayor should write an open letter to the Prime Minister urging her to introduce legislation to reduce the voting age to 16.”

We believe that encouraging participation in the political process is a valuable means of engaging young people in modern society and note proposals in both the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament for a reduction of the voting age to 16, along with cross party support at Kent County Council.  We recognise the important contribution of 16 and 17 year olds to the Scottish Independence referendum and believe that the young people of Maidstone should also play a role in determining the future of their borough and country.