Tag: Benjamin Bowman
The under 30s in the UK: A generation used to not getting what they voted for
The EU Referendum underlined a clear disconnect between the ruling elites and the electorate, writes Benjamin Bowman. Disappointment with political choices is particularly marked among the younger generation, whose disaffection exemplifies a deeper depolitisation. Much can be learned from recent episodes such as the Iraq War and the increase in tuition fees if we are […]
The Vote at 16 in 2016: Three things campaigners must do now
Hopes that 16 and 17-year olds might be allowed to vote in the EU referendum were quickly quashed by the government at the end of 2015. Benjamin Bowman considers where those pushing for the extension of suffrage should go from here. He argues that campaigners need to refocus on the core issues in the new year and […]
As a democratic representative for young women, Mhairi Black is exactly what parliament needs
On election night, 20-year old Mhairi Black made national headlines for defeating Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander in his Paisley constituency. She has since been the subject of much media attention owing largely to her youth. Her well-received maiden speech has received attention for being passionate and coherent, and as Benjamin Bowman argues here, […]
Votes at 16 should be part of the systemic reform needed to counter youth abstention from democratic institutions
Andrew Mycock and Jonathan Tonge argued on Democratic Audit recently that lowering the voting age to 16 in the UK should not be considered while much wider and political reform is required to engage young people. In this post Benjamin Bowman responds, suggesting that enfranchising should be part of this systemic reform, and would place the right […]
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