Interview with Danielle Rowley, Labour MP for Midlothian and Paul Sweeney, Labour MP for Glasgow North East and shadow Scotland Minister: Giving 16 Year Olds the Vote

Sones speaks to Rowley and Sweeney after a Parliamentary debate on giving 16 year olds the vote, Rowley says that she was disappointed by the Conservative response when the debate had been positive. She goes onto the say that arguments against extending the voting franchise are very similar to the arguments made against giving women the vote. The Conservative minister used the phrase 'no taxation without representation' and argued that giving 16 year olds the vote, would mean you would have to tax them. Rowley disagrees with this line of argument because unemployed people are allowed to vote. Sweeney does not believe that the Conservative argument is illogical, by engaging young people, letting them vote and making it part of the school curriculum, they are much more likely to vote later in life. Sones mentions that in Scotland, 16 year olds are allowed to vote - Rowley thinks the success in Scotland is proof that it would be a positive step. Sweeney challenges the idea that the Conservative Party do not want votes for 16 year olds because of the fear that they will vote a certain way, by speaking about Ruth Davidson's (leader of the Scottish Conservative Party 2011 - 2019) support for the change. Both agree that this is about the rights young people have. Sones moves the conversation onto Theresa May offering to work with Jeremy Corbyn on the Brexit Agreement, both agree that May has done this too late on. Rowley discusses her experience at 17 coming to visit Parliament and her group being better behaved than the sitting MPs at the time.