- विज्ञापन -
England, July 17: The UK government has announced that 16 and 17-year-olds will now have the right to vote across the country. This decision will be implemented before the next general election.
The last change in the voting age in Britain was in 1969, when it was reduced from 21 to 18 years. In such a situation, this change is considered the biggest reform in the election system in the last 56 years.
Previously, these young people were only able to vote in some elections in Scotland and Wales, but now they will be able to take part in local, regional and general elections across the UK.
Rules tightened to prevent foreign interference
The government said it was tightening rules to prevent foreign interference in elections. Now companies making political donations will have to prove that they have a connection to Britain or Ireland and that they earn income from there.
Until now, any British company could donate to any political party, no matter where the company was located and who its owner was. Now if someone wants to donate to a political party through a ‘shell company’, then it will have to follow strict rules.
There will be an investigation into receiving donations of more than 58 thousand pounds
This step has been taken especially at a time when it came to light that American billionaire Elon Musk had donated a huge amount to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. Now under the new rules, foreign citizens like Musk will not be able to influence UK politics unless they prove that their money is coming from Britain.
Now donations of more than 500 pounds (about 58 thousand rupees) will be strictly scrutinized, especially if they come from abroad. The Election Commission will now also have the power to impose a fine of up to 5 lakh pounds on those who violate the rules.
The aim is also to increase youth participation
The government also says that this step has been taken to do justice to the youth and increase their participation in democracy, especially for those youth who are serving in the army or are ready to serve the country.
Apart from this, the government believes that this will help restore public confidence in the country’s electoral system. This decision also fulfills the promise made by the Labor Party in its manifesto before the elections last year.
95 lakh population will benefit
According to the IPPR think tank, this change will benefit 9.5 million young people in Britain. Currently, about 48.2 million people are registered as voters in Britain.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Renner said people have been losing trust in democracy and government institutions for a long time, so it’s time to change that.
He said that giving the right to vote to 16-year-old youth will not only increase democratic participation but will also strengthen the society for the future.
You can vote by showing your driving license
Along with this change, the government is also making changes in the voter ID system. Now bank cards can also be used as voter identity cards.
Apart from this, other identity cards like driving license and veteran card which are available in digital form will also be recognized. However, some opposition leaders have expressed concern that this may weaken the security of the voting process.
