6:45pm, Tuesday 11th June
Wilson Room, Portcullis House, Westminster
At the 2014 referendum in Scotland, 16 and 17 year olds will be able to cast their vote for the first time in a major ballot in the UK. A panel of experts will be considering key questions:
- Are 16 and 17 year olds in Scotland likely to increase the low level of voter turnout among young people; and is their participation likely to make any difference to the result?
- Will the enfranchisement of 16 and 17 year olds in the referendum in Scotland set a precedent for future elections in the rest of the UK? Could a low turnout in Scotland set back the campaign for Votes at 16 in the rest of the UK?
- What will be the effect on the teaching of political literacy in schools? Teachers will now be teaching about politics to 16 and 17 year olds who can actually vote – will this put more pressure on teachers? Will the teaching of political literacy need to take a different approach?
Speakers:
- Susana Giner – Director, Youth Media Agency
- Peter Kellner – President, YouGov
- Matteo Bergamini – Executive Director and Founder, Shout Out UK
- Alan Trench – University of Edinburgh and Constitution Unit, UCL
- Prof John Curtice – University of Strathclyde
Chair:
- Michael Raftery – Director of Learning, Hansard Society