16-year-olds to get vote in party’s mayoral primary

Sixteen and seventeen-year-olds are set to have a say in choosing Labour’s candidate for the next London mayoral race, a senior MP signalled today.

Stephen Twigg, shadow minister for political and constitutional reform, backed a plan for the voting age to be lowered from 18 for the “primary” to select Labour’s mayoral challenger.

Labour leader Ed Miliband is already championing “votes at 16” for general elections.

But Mr Twigg suggested the lower voting age could be first introduced in England by Labour to choose its mayoral candidate.

He told the Standard: “I welcome the proposal that we can implement this pledge early by enabling 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in Labour’s primary for the 2016 election for London Mayor.” Mr Twigg was supporting a blueprint for the London primary outlined by Marcus Roberts, deputy general secretary of the Left-leaning Fabian Society, in this week’s edition of Progress magazine.

He suggested that individuals who will be 18 by the time of the mayoral election in May 2016 should be allowed to take part in the Labour primary, which will give people who are not members of the party a say in choosing the candidate.

“It would be a great way for Labour to engage younger Londoners and show that our commitment to votes at 16 is more than just words,” said Mr Roberts.

Senior figures in the party are pushing for it to choose its mayoral candidate after the general election in 2015. This timing would allow Labour MPs to see whether the party wins power before deciding whether to run.