A kick in the ballots.

I have spent a lifetime in the classroom engaging with children aged between 16 and 18 – and the vast majority are not politically aware.

Giving them the vote is a cynical move by the government because they naively assume youngsters will put a ‘X’ by their candidates’ names.

It goes against the trend of increasingly not allowing under 18s to do things – they are now banned from buying vapes, cigarettes, alcohol, fireworks and various bladed instruments. They are not allowed to get married or enter into legal contracts.

They are not allowed to gamble – but will now be able to gamble on politicians at the ballot box.

Many youngsters I have taught had no idea who the leaders of the main political parties were and had little understanding of what it meant to be on the left or right of politics.

Few understood the democratic or tax systems and they had little interest in watching the news or reading the paper. The vast, vast majority didn’t work or pay tax.

This is not meant as an insult to young people – it’s just that at this point in their development they are interested in other things and are happy to leave these issues to the adults.

There are of course exceptions – who can recall William Hague addressing the Conservative Party Conference aged just 16? To be fair he did a better job than the frontline politicians of today.

Giving children the vote, so the argument goes, brings us into line with Scotland and Wales. But it also brings us into line with Nicaragua and Cuba and a handful of other countries and tiny islands.

The vast majority of states around the world have a voting age of 18. Some, including the successful ones of Singapore and Taiwan, have an older voting age – 21 and 20 respectively.

Our government has calculated that enfranchising 1.5 million teenagers will deliver more Labour votes.

Young people are more idealistic and believe the world can be changed – it is a natural disposition because they haven’t yet come to the conclusion that ‘there is nothing new under the sun’, as Solomon said in his wisdom (Ecclesiastes).

The old adage that ‘if you’re not a socialist when you’re young, you have no heart; and if you’re not a conservative when you’re old, you have no brain’ has merit.

But I think this government might have miscalculated. Having taught so many youngsters I think they will be drawn as much to new parties as they are to Labour. Perhaps even more so.

Jeremy Corbyn’s new political vehicle – should it ever get off the ground – will draw youngsters to it as a light does moths.

Reform are not only making headway with disaffected Conservative voters, but are becoming popular amongst teenagers. Just look at Nigel Farage’s stats on Tik-Tok.

Parties offering simple answers to complex problems are likely to appeal to teenagers.

Come the next election, Labour will be the party that everyone blames for the mess the country is in.

The simple solutions they offered in opposition will have been exposed as fraudulent – and youngsters will be looking for new answers from new parties.

In its bid to manipulate the election, Labour might split its own vote and empower Reform.

ends