Half of 13 to 17-year-olds either do not know which political party they would support at the next general election or whether they would vote at all, according to new polling by the Children's Commissioner.
The findings, published the morning after the local elections, come as the Government plans to lower the voting age to 16 – a change that could bring an estimated four million additional young voters into the electorate by 2029.
In response, Dame Rachel is calling for citizenship and democracy lessons to be embedded in schools and urging political parties to produce children's versions of their manifestos.
‘How we respond to children’s challenges will define what it means to grow up in England and shape how a generation engages in democracy for years to come. Hearing from children doesn’t just mean listening to them once. It cannot be optional,’ she said.
‘If we are serious about making children’s lives – their outcomes – better we must listen to them, especially those who are least often heard. Children in this country are brimming with ideas, experience and ambition to make England the best country in the world to grow up in – they need us to listen and act.’
