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Barry Sheerman MP says votes at 16 would raise sexual abuse risk | Barry Sheerman MP says votes at 16 would raise sexual abuse risk |
(35 minutes later) | |
Allowing 16-year-olds to vote will make them more vulnerable to sexual abuse, an MP has said. | Allowing 16-year-olds to vote will make them more vulnerable to sexual abuse, an MP has said. |
Labour's Barry Sheerman said the change "shrinks childhood" by making people adults at 16. | Labour's Barry Sheerman said the change "shrinks childhood" by making people adults at 16. |
He spoke as MPs debated extending the franchise during the EU referendum, a move they then rejected in a vote. | |
Shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden said he respected Mr Sheerman but could see no link between extending voting rights and sexual abuse. | Shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden said he respected Mr Sheerman but could see no link between extending voting rights and sexual abuse. |
Huddersfield MP Mr Sheerman said: "Up and down this country we've had vulnerability to sexual predators and ghastly things happening right through to 18 and this move to have adults at 16 will make a lot of young men and women more vulnerable to sexual predation than that happens at the moment." | Huddersfield MP Mr Sheerman said: "Up and down this country we've had vulnerability to sexual predators and ghastly things happening right through to 18 and this move to have adults at 16 will make a lot of young men and women more vulnerable to sexual predation than that happens at the moment." |
'Strong reason' | 'Strong reason' |
After Mr McFadden rejected this argument, Mr Sheerman added "what those of us - the small minority of us on these benches I have to say - worry about is" that if people are treated as an adult at 16 "that shrinks childhood". | After Mr McFadden rejected this argument, Mr Sheerman added "what those of us - the small minority of us on these benches I have to say - worry about is" that if people are treated as an adult at 16 "that shrinks childhood". |
Labour and the SNP support allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in UK elections, but the government is against the policy. | Labour and the SNP support allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in UK elections, but the government is against the policy. |
Setting out his party's position, Mr McFadden said that aside from the wider debate about the voting age, there was a "very strong reason" to lower it for the EU referendum because young people's future was "directly at stake". | Setting out his party's position, Mr McFadden said that aside from the wider debate about the voting age, there was a "very strong reason" to lower it for the EU referendum because young people's future was "directly at stake". |
If the UK votes to leave the EU, their ability to live and study in Europe would be affected, he said. | If the UK votes to leave the EU, their ability to live and study in Europe would be affected, he said. |
But Conservative Cabinet Office Minister John Penrose said this was not the time to consider such a change, saying the issue should be "soberly and properly debated" on another occasion. | But Conservative Cabinet Office Minister John Penrose said this was not the time to consider such a change, saying the issue should be "soberly and properly debated" on another occasion. |
The change was rejected in a Commons vote by 310 to 265. | |
The bill, which will put into law the in/out referendum promised by 2017, is currently making its way through Parliament. | The bill, which will put into law the in/out referendum promised by 2017, is currently making its way through Parliament. |
Also during the committee stage debate, an SNP motion to allow EU nationals resident in the UK to vote in the referendum was rejected by 514 votes to 71. | Also during the committee stage debate, an SNP motion to allow EU nationals resident in the UK to vote in the referendum was rejected by 514 votes to 71. |
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