• HOME
• NEWS
• ABOUT THE BLAH! PARTY
  • - Introduction
  • - FAQs
  • - Blah! constitution
  • - Our captain
  • - Our sponsors
  • - Blah! representatives
  • - Member interviews
  • - Contact us
• BLAH!S & MANIFESTO
• JOIN
• MEMBERS AREA
• SPREAD THE WORD
• PRESS & MEDIA

Lowering the voting age debate

Siobhan Mealey

My name's Siobhan Mealey, I'm fifteen years old (nearly sixteen), and I'm from Liverpool, UK. I became interested in politics at an early age through my father and late grandfather, both strong political activists, and have always been encouraged to watch the news and attend demonstrations. I suppose my hobbies are the usual - music, friends, politics, writing, reading and playing drums in my band.

• Do you think that the voting age should be lowered from 18 to 16?

  I do think it should be lowered to sixteen.

• Why do you believe it should/shouldn't?

  I think it should because otherwise politics leaves no real place for anyone to talk about their opinions and views unless they're considered to be 'real adults', which is against our policy of 'freedom of speech', because the freedom is age restricted. If you can get married and smoke at sixteen, why not be able to vote on how you think the country should be run?

• Why do you think there was such a poor turnout at the last election?

  Namely because more and more people seem to have a varying degree of political apathy, no matter what their stance is. People seem to see politics as something beyond their control and something that will never change.

• If you could vote, which policies would be most important to you?

  I am mostly intrigued by the impending threat of global warming and the war in Iraq. I would always vote according to which party took a firm enough stance on resolving these two issues.

• Do you think that most people your age know much about politics? Why is this?

  I don't think people my age know enough about politics because they look at it as being part of an adult world, rather than their world. Also, people my age tend to see the news as "Something boring that uses long words that we don't understand", which is maybe indicative to the role that schools should play in covering politics as part of the curriculum, ensuring that sixteen year olds would be well informed enough to vote.

• Do you think most people your age care about politics? Why is this?

  I think they do care, but only about issues they think apply to them or those issues that are particularly scandalous. Otherwise, the ideas about politics from my age group are usually quite generalised.

• What is your overall opinion of today's politicians?

  I don't think there are enough honest ones that really want the best for the country andthe people who live in it.

• Who do you admire in public life?

  Musical journalist and punk band front man, John Robb.

• Do you think they would make a good politician? If yes, why?

  I do think he would make an excellent politician, as he seems to be very much in the know about what's going on in the world, and every time I've met him he's proved to have excellent views on political issues, both personal and global.

• What do you think will happen to politics in the future?

  I have no idea. I really couldn't give a well-informed answer to this, but I can only say that I hope the corruption and lies stop, and we get some form of an honest, trustworthy government back running the country that looks out for its people and cares about what the people want.

• If you could rule the world for a day what would you do?

  I'd pull the troops out of Iraq, make Bush keep to the 1997 Kyoto treaty, and lower the voting age to sixteen.

< Member interviews