SUMMARISED RESPONSE TO VOTING AGE CONSULTATION

Together Gibraltar has published its response to the government’s consultation paper on lowering the voting age to 16, supporting the motion and proposing reforms in education to accompany the change.

After careful deliberation and discussions with the general public, we strongly support the proposed change. Lowering the voting age will benefit young people by giving them a voice in the decisions that affect their lives and those of their loved ones, and will strengthen Gibraltar’s democracy by increasing civic engagement and political maturity among all citizens.

In acknowledgement of the potential challenges and risks highlighted in our report, we have put forward a number of reforms to accompany this change. We are calling for more civic education in schools, to equip young people with the knowledge and skills to make informed choices, to understand the workings of Gibraltar’s institutions, and to critically evaluate the role of media and information in politics.

Our party considered the arguments that young people are not politically mature enough to vote but after meaningful deliberation recognised that political maturity is not a fixed trait that appears at 18, but rather a process that develops over time from a young age. In our report we have highlighted the unique context of Gibraltar, where politics plays an outsized role in the lives of our people. Young people in particular are already exposed to and involved in political issues, our education system must give them the critical skills to understand local issues and the space to explore their ideas.

Finally, while we applaud the government for launching this consultation so early into their term we have put forward concerns around the poor timing and circulation of the consultation paper, which limited the opportunity for public input and debate.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in our surveys and conversations and hope that the government will take these arguments on board when debating this issue further in parliament. More details of our submission can be found at our website: togethergibraltar.com

We remain open for collaboration with the government, and all other parties and stakeholders on this important topic.

ENDS