What is the current UK voting age?

The Representation of the People Bill would see all of the UK come into line with Wales and Scotland, which already have rights for under-18s to vote in local elections.

Labour announced the plans last year, with Sir Keir Starmer stating that 16 and 17-year-olds can pay taxes and should therefore have the vote at the local and national levels.

“I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go,” the prime minister said.

Lowering the age to 16 would bring voting in line with the age of consent, while you can learn to drive from 17.

Sir Keir has faced criticism from the Tory opposition, however.

Shadow local government secretary Sir James Cleverly said: "The Conservatives are clear that people become adults at 18 and that is when citizenship rights – such as voting – should be gained."

The Liberal Democrats have backed the change, but said it does not go far enough.

MP Lisa Smart said: "We need to scrap our broken, unfair voting system, finally make the House of Lords democratic, and stamp out the influence of foreign adversaries in our elections altogether.”

What is the UK voting age?

The voting age is currently 18 for UK parliamentary elections.

It is also 18 for local elections, police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales, and all elections in Northern Ireland.

For local elections in Scotland and Wales, and elections to the Scottish Parliament and Senedd, the voting age is 16.

A blanket change to 16 would represent the biggest change to the electoral rules since 1969, when the age was lowered from 21 to 18.