Labour plans to lower minimum age of voting

[Efour]

Well in Sweden the minimum wage is about 110Kr (£10ish) for a shopworker.

the country hasn't imploded., All you end up paying is a load extra in cafes and coffee shops, resturants and other labour intensive jobs.

its accepted and expected - people cost money like any other commodity, UK needs to get a grip and do the same.

Costs get passed onto the customer like EVERY other charge EVER in business.

 

[darkblueslider]

I think they should have a vote. Voting system is already far too skewed towards the older generation - 'grey vote' is massively pandered to by politicians.

 

[balky12]

Well in Sweden the minimum wage is about 110Kr (£10ish) for a shopworker.

the country hasn't imploded., All you end up paying is a load extra in cafes and coffee shops, resturants and other labour intensive jobs.

its accepted and expected - people cost money like any other commodity, UK needs to get a grip and do the same.

Costs get passed onto the customer like EVERY other charge EVER in business.

Everyone agrees with you, the whole reason behind raising minimum wage is (at least labours argument) to help lowest earners with the cost of living.

If everything increases in price as a result nothing has really changed...

 

[GAC]

If everything increases in price as a result nothing has really changed...

apart from inflation takes a huge leap.

 

[atpbx]

So all that really happens, is the cost of everything goes up, and in real terms those people who now get paid more, are no better off than they were before?

Like when the minimum wage was introduced it wiped out all the jobs for those people who really were not worth any more than £3.50 an hour and put them on benefits.

 

[GAC]

i really hate the idea that some jobs arnt worth a living wage. see it all the time of late, if the job needs doing it should be worth paying someone a living wage. all this "if all you can earn is min wage your useless" is getting a tad old.

 

[Ryan-3]

A lot of those around my age - 19 - haven't a bloody clue about any of it. When we had the last vote (local I believe?), there was only a handful out of the lot that could talk about why. At this age, we're able to do a hell of a lot. But can we make well balanced decisions? Some i'd say can definitely not.

 

[estebanrey]

i really hate the idea that some jobs arnt worth a living wage. see it all the time of late, if the job needs doing it should be worth paying someone a living wage. all this "if all you can earn is min wage your useless" is getting a tad old.

It's not that, but rather if you have a high living wage, there is no incentive amongst the lower earners to improve themselves/their job.

So, take Jane and Jilly who are both 25 year old cleaners. Currently Jane earns £6.50 an hour but Jilly earns £8 an hour because she put herself on a GNVQ in cleaning course and gained a qualification.

Then the government come along and push Jane's wage up to £8 per hour. Jilly won't also go up, she'll stay where she is and even if she argues her boss just says "Sorry but I got to find money to cover the increases so can't entertain the idea of a pay rise for you", and you're left with an unfairness (and one Jilly certainly feels).

Theoretically is a perfect free market micro-economy with zero unemployment there shouldn't be a need a for minimum wage as no one would take a job they couldn't live off thereby forcing employers to offer one they can. But that can't happen in times of high unemployment and with unrestricted immigration from countries where £8 an hour is a high wage.

 

[GAC]

the small problem is a lot of jobs you just cant move on up the ladder as theres nowhere to actually move. you talk about cleaners as a example. outside of a supervisory role or being a manager for a large services company the only other option would be to starts a business. which many could do but say all cleaners suddenly get gnvq's you end up with a well educated group of cleaners who cant go anywhere as everyone else is the same.

i know its not liable to happen like that but its the same for many jobs. my local council for example took on 5 new guys to empty the bins as apprentices (bit of a con for lower wages but thats another topic) all 5 of them got to do gnvq's. theres A supervisory position any of them could apply for if it ever became free. so 4 out of the 5 would have to move to another place and from what iv heard a lot of other local councils have done the gnvq thing to save on money taking new starters on.

so where do they go ? same as with a lot of people waving degree's around for media studies theres just not the roles for them to move on.

 

[MANFACE]

Labour / Conservatives are a joke.

I'm voting UKIP.

 

[Mynight]

Labour / Conservatives are a joke.

I'm voting UKIP.

Whilst I don't entirely disagree why do you think ukip will make a difference? What attracts you to them or is it more of a protest vote?

 

[MANFACE]

Whilst I don't entirely disagree why do you think ukip will make a difference? What attracts you to them or is it more of a protest vote?

Certainly not a protest vote.

Common sense springs to mind, looking after the UK, surely not a bad thing ?

I'm going up to conference in Doncaster, will be a great atmosphere.

 

[GAC]

speaking of ukip and labour. the middleton and heywood by election is happening down the road in a couple of weeks and labour yet again insert a non local who just happens to be a union rep in. a few local labour members have left the party over it. ukip are getting very excited as they could very well win this seat which isnt a bad thing especially with the way labours been picking its new mp's and still droaning on like with no real substance other than tax the rich and wave that 50p tax rate about.

 

[Mynight]

Common sense springs to mind, looking after the UK, surely not a bad thing ?

Not at all. UK first.

I just haven't seen much of a policy statement other than the EU breakaway.

They have some real idiots in their party though. I don't mean racism I mean the mentally challenged kind. Farrage is brilliant in my opinion. I cant find fault with him at the moment.

At the moment they're an unproven entity. I think a country for 4 years is a bit of a dangerous thing to trust to someone unknown at least without seeing a solid POA.

 

[Blackjack Davy]

More likely to vote labour, thats why they're pushing it.

 

[FortuitousFluke]

I was watching a world renowned highly respected political panel show the other day, and it was discussing this very issue.....FINE I WAS WATCHING LOOSE WOMEN, STOP JUDGING ME!

Most of the people who were against the concept of 16 year olds voting seemed to be proferring the argument "I don't think they'll vote for who I think they should". If this is a valid argument can I also suggest we withold the vote from; benefit claimants; football fans; anybody who likes muscle cars; anybody who owns, or has ever owned, an ornamental stone bulldog; the working class; and Eric Pickles.

Let the kids vote, marry it with increased focus on politics in schools (non-partizan of course) and maybe we'll address the issue of voter apathy somewhat.

 

[eatcustard]

If I had the choice I would raise it to 21

16 years olds are just not mature enough.

 

[BuffetSlayer]

I'm not sure why people believe an older person has any more political knowledge and insight than a younger one. Generally, the majority of people are fairly ignorant when it comes to politics and just believe what the Daily Mail says, or what the BBC news says. How many voters out there have ever properly read a party manifesto? That said, I think it is true that generally 16yr olds know very little about working, bills, taxes, responsibility etc etc.

Also, many voters who are able to vote do not, which it could be argued is as equally irresponsible as the ones who do vote for a party with a manifesto that suits their circumstances and needs/wants the best. So, basically, purely selfish and not considering the 'greater good' at all.

I do not think reducing the voting age to 16 is the right decision. In my view, the age at which a person becomes an 'adult' is the age which everything else should be brought in line. That includes driving, drinking, sexual consent, compulsary education etc etc.

I think 18 is about right, perhaps 20. We have to draw a line somewhere, but I think if a change in age must happen, I do not think reducing the age is the right direction to go.

I would say leave the legal age of becoming an adult at 18, then raise the age of the other elements to suit.

 

[atpbx]

i really hate the idea that some jobs arnt worth a living wage. see it all the time of late, if the job needs doing it should be worth paying someone a living wage. all this "if all you can earn is min wage your useless" is getting a tad old.

Thats a problem with your thought process and nothing else, and thats not meant to be an insult.

Some jobs are not meant, are not supposed to generate a living wage for someone.

Someone who is trying to make a living wage cleaning pub toilets needs a different kind of help them paying them £8 an hour to do it.

 

[GAC]

Thats a problem with your thought process and nothing else, and thats not meant to be an insult.

Some jobs are not meant, are not supposed to generate a living wage for someone.

Someone who is trying to make a living wage cleaning pub toilets needs a different kind of help them paying them £8 an hour to do it.

as i said if a job needs to be done it should at least have a liveable wage otherwise its not worth doing and its that simple.

as for my thought process maybe its down to working jobs a lot on here would never do as they are below them, if your view is someone who works 40 hours a week as a cleaner for example isnt worth a liveable wage maybe you need to look at your thought process.