Sheerman in voting age clash

Jun 12 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HUDDERSFIELD MP Barry Sheerman has clashed with the Government again.

Commons Leader Harriet Harman provoked angry remarks from the senior Labour backbencher during exchanges on lowering the voting age to 16.

Labour’s Mr Sheerman, chair of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, warned that taking the voting age down would “truncate childhood”.

But Ms Harman said there was a “strong case” for voting at 16, adding: “I don’t think anyone could seriously think that giving young people the right to vote at 16 is going to be the equivalent of child abuse.”

Her comment during Commons exchanges on upcoming business drew mutterings from all parties and caused Mr Sheerman to cry “ridiculous” and “stupid.”

The Huddersfield MP last week called for a secret ballot of Labour MPs on whether Gordon Brown should continue as leader.

In the Commons yesterday he asked for a “full debate” on some of Mr Brown’s proposals for constitutional renewal.

He said: “It is very fashionable to think that taking the voting age down to 16 is a very brave new thing to do.

“But the fact of the matter is the implication for childhood – becoming an adult at 16, losing all the protections of Every Child Matters – this is a very serious challenge.

“And I believe that we must not move in this direction and imperil childhood and children and truncate childhood unless we very seriously deliberate this issue.”

The Government’s Every Child Matters programme involves five ambitions for all children and young people, including to be healthy, stay safe and “enjoy and achieve”.

Ms Harman told Mr Sheerman: “I think there’s a strong case for very good citizenship education in schools and then as soon as they have finished that compulsory citizenship, it’s like out of the classroom, into the polling station.”