Another 1m voters may be a shot in the arm for democracy, but it is also a shot in the dark

Half a century since the national voting age was last lowered, Keir Starmer has decided the time is right to include more than a million 16- and 17-year-olds in democracy for the first time.

- Rowena Mason

Like bringing in same-sex marriage, smoking bans or maternity leave, extending the franchise is a defining policy that will become part of this government's permanent legacy for the country.

The thinking behind the move, promised in Labour's manifesto, is that encouraging younger people to vote at an age when they are still largely in education will persuade them to make it a lifelong habit.

There is also an issue of fairness. Many young people work and contribute taxes, or serve in the military in non-combat roles. And the policy will bring England and Northern Ireland into line with Scotland and Wales, where those aged 16 and 17 have been able to vote in Holyrood, Senedd and local council elections for some time.

The government's arguments for electoral change are all about increasing democratic participation, with Starmer saying all young people should have a say in the country's future. "If you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say how your money should be spent," he said.