Breaking down barriers to democratic participation, or electioneering that tilts the scales in the government’s favour?
Labour have announced plans to extend the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds in time for the next general election.
The Greens, the Lib Dems and the SNP are in favour, but the Conservatives and Reform UK are not.
If you look at the latest polling, and indeed historical polling, you might be able to work out why.
A ballot of more than 22,000 under-18s, carried out prior to the 2024 general election, had the Greens in second place with the Conservatives in fifth.
In the real election, the Conservatives ended up in second place, recording a vote share 15 points higher among the general population than they received among those not old enough to vote.
The Greens, in contrast, ended up in fifth, with a vote share more than 20 points lower than that recorded in the youth poll.
A year is a long time in politics, and Labour have slipped in popularity since that vote, while Reform have surged to a lead in recent polling. But not so among the youngest age group of currently eligible voters.
Labour still lead with 18-24-year-olds, while Reform sit in fifth, according to the latest YouGov poll carried out for Sky News.
Sky News election analyst Professor Will Jennings says there is no reason to expect that voting behaviour among 16 and 17-year-olds will be significantly different to those closest to them in age.
