THE NEXT UK general election will see 16-year-olds able to vote for the first time, ministers have confirmed in wide-ranging plans to “modernise democracy”.

In Northern Ireland, these plans cover general elections in which voters select their MP and do not extend to Assembly Elections to vote for MLAs or to local council elections.

SDLP leader Claire Hanna welcomed the move but said her party will “continue to push for change to secure voting at all levels for 16 and 17-year-olds”.

Labour’s manifesto committed the party to lowering the voting age for parliamentary elections to 16, in line with Scottish and Welsh elections.

But plans announced today go further in an effort to increase participation in elections.

Ministers have proposed introducing automated voter registration, which is already used in Australia and Canada, and making UK-issued bank cards an accepted form of ID at polling stations.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said “far too many people” had been put off voting by the voter ID rules introduced by the previous government, with the Electoral Commission finding around 750,000 people did not vote due to a lack of ID.

The Government has already made the Veteran Card an accepted form of voter ID, and intends to allow digital forms of ID to be used when they become available.

Deputy British Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that will ensure more people have the opportunity to engage in UK democracy, supporting our plan for change, and delivering on our manifesto commitment to give 16-year-olds the right to vote.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was “important” to lower the voting age, as 16-year-olds were old enough to work and “pay in” through tax, so should “have the opportunity” to say how they wanted their money spent.

But a poll of 500 16 and 17-year-olds conducted for ITV News by Merlin Strategy found only half said they thought they should be allowed to vote, and only 18% would definitely vote.

Labour stood to gain the most, with 33% saying they would back the party, while 20% said they would choose Reform UK and 18% the Greens.

Naomi Smith, chief executive of campaign group Best for Britain, said the change was “a brave choice set to benefit generations to come”, and urged political parties to “do more to win the votes of the UK’s young people”.

But in the Commons, Conservative shadow communities minister Paul Holmes accused the UK Government of being “hopelessly confused” about the age of majority.

He said: “Why does this Government think a 16-year-old can vote but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket, an alcoholic drink, marry, or go to war, or even stand in the elections they’re voting in?”

Today’s plans will also see a tightening of the rules on campaign finance aimed at barring “shell companies” from donating to political parties and requiring more checks on donations to unincorporated associations.

The Electoral Commission will be given the power to levy £500,000 (€578,000) fines on those who break the new rules on donations.

Rushanara Ali, the UK’s minister for democracy, said: “We are modernising our democracy so that it is fit for the 21st century.”

She added: “By reinforcing safeguards against foreign interference, we will strengthen our democratic institutions and protect them for future generations.”

The proposal follows concern about the vulnerability of UK politics to donations from overseas, which came to prominence amid reports Elon Musk was considering a major donation to Reform UK.

Unincorporated associations have long been another concern of transparency campaigners, who have warned they can obscure the real source of political donations.

It also comes as the Electoral Commission reported spending at last year’s UK general election hit a record high of £94.5 million (€109m), including £69.3 million (€80m) spent by political parties.

Labour outspent its rivals, shelling out £30 million (€34.7m) during the campaign, more than twice the amount it spent in 2019, while the Conservatives spent £23.9 million (€27.7m) and the Liberal Democrats £5.6 million (€6.5m).

Reform spent £5.5 million (€6.4m), the Greens £1.7 million (€2m) and the SNP £799,000 (€925,400).

Electoral Commission chief executive Vijay Rangarajan welcomed the changes to rules on voter registration and political donations, saying they would “improve the resilience and integrity of our electoral system”.

But the commission also warned that allowing people to use bank cards as voter ID had “risks for security and voter trust”.

Today’s plan will see the UK Government bring forward legislation to introduce its new rules, which also include tougher sentences for people who intimidate candidates amid a rise in reports of abuse aimed at those standing for election.

Both the Greens and the Liberal Democrats welcomed the decision to lower the voting age to 16.

But Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokeswoman Sarah Olney said the reforms to campaign finance rules left “an Elon Musk-shaped hole in the Government’s proposed changes”.

She said: “Ministers must go much further to close the door to foreign oligarchs interfering in British politics – anything less undermines our democracy.”