People will be eligible to stand for election at 18, instead of having to wait until they are 21, under plans revealed by elections minister Christopher Leslie.
Following publication of its report, Age of Electoral Majority,
the independent Electoral Commission recommended reducing the age
of candidacy to 18. But the minimum voting age should remain
unchanged at 18, the Commission says.
The government will seek legislation to cut the candidacy age when
parliamentary time allows, Mr Leslie said during a visit to Hanson
School, Bradford at the end of January.
He said it was for the electorate to decide whether a candidate could adequately represent them, and added: “The government has noted the conclusion that the Commission has reached on voting age, and that there are arguments both for and against reducing it. We are keeping this issue under review.”
