A Labour minister was skewered by GB News’s Camilla Tominey in a row over lowering the voting age. Environment Secretary Steve Reed was unable to say the legal age for marriage when grilled by the presenter about Labour’s controversial plans to slash the voting age to 16.
It comes after Deputy PM Angela Rayner justified the move by saying 16-year-olds can get married, but the legal age is 18. Asked what the age is, Mr Reed told GB News: “To be legally married in the UK, you’ll have to, I don’t know, tell me how old. 16? 18?”
When told it was 18, he said: “Well, having votes at 16 was something that we put in our manifesto.
“We won a majority in the House of Commons. Now we’re getting ahead and we’re implementing our manifesto.
“16 and 17-year-olds can already vote in certain elections in Scotland and Wales, I think it’s reasonable to give young people a say in national elections here in the UK as well.”
Tominey said: “Why doesn’t the Deputy Prime Minister or the Environment Secretary know basic laws of the UK?”
Labour set out plans earlier this week to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in the next general election.
Labour’s manifesto committed the party to lowering the voting age for parliamentary elections to 16, in line with Scottish and Welsh elections.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer insisted it was “important” to lower the voting age as 16-year-olds were old enough to work and “pay in” through tax, so should “have the opportunity” to say how they wanted their money spent.
But a poll of 500 16 and 17-year-olds conducted for ITV News by Merlin Strategy found only half said they thought they should be allowed to vote, and only 18% would definitely vote.
Labour stood to gain the most, with 33% saying they would back the party, while 20% said they would choose Reform UK and 18% the Greens.
But the move was criticised by the Conservatives and Nigel Farage’s party.