South: Power to the people

Walter Murray
Producer Politics Show South

Are we properly represented and enfranchised? Should we have more women MPs? Should the voting age be lowered? The Politics Show reports.

Sixteen-year-olds are campaigning for the vote

Sixteen is a crucial age in life.

You take important school exams, and legally, you can smoke, go out to work, fight for your country, have sex, and take to the road on a moped.

But voting for your local council or Member of Parliament is out of your reach for a further two years.

It is an entitlement which youngsters in such countries as Cuba, Nicaragua, and Serbia and Montenegro already have.

In recent years, dozens of Youth Parliaments and Cabinets have sprung up around the country, with members' portfolios similar to their adult counterparts.

According to the campaign group, "Votes at 16", the introduction into the national curriculum of citizenship education will empower a youngster to make an informed choice in an election.

It claims: "The arguments put forward for denying 16 and 17 year olds the vote are the same as those put forward previously for denying women and working classes the right to vote:

"that they were too innocent of the world and that those who had the right knew what was best for them.

"Those arguments are as wrong now as they were then."

Early day motion introduced

The good news for the campaign is that the Labour party is presently consulting with its members about the possibility of lowering the voting age. Submissions close in November.

An early day motion has also been introduced into Parliament, with dozens of MPs from across the political spectrum backing the idea of enfranchisement at 16.

Among those from the South: Peter Bottomley (Worthing, Conservative), Annette Brooke (Dorset Mid & Poole North, Lib Dem), and Jane Griffiths (Reading East, Labour).

Women demand a bigger say in politics

They represent half the population, yet only claimed their first seat (in a by-election in Plymouth) in 1919.

In 2003, of the 659 seats in the House of Commons, only 119 are filled by women. While that is an improvement on 20 years ago, when there were just 23 women MPs, today's figure means more than 80 per cent of those people filling the green benches at Westminster are men.

What is the answer?

One of those pushing for women quotas is Sandra Gidley

Quota systems have been suggested ... and indeed have already proved successful overseas.

In Latin America for example, the results of quotas have been remarkable. 25% of seats in Argentina, for instance, have been occupied by women, compared with just 6% before the quota law took effect.

One of those pushing for women quotas is Sandra Gidley, the Liberal Democrat MP for Romsey in Hampshire.

She is convinced women are changing the whole character of Parliament and for the better.

Give me one example of a sleaze scandalised woman MP! Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat MP

Ms Gidley says: "The change isn't necessarily happening through particular women's issues, but through the way women tackle problems.

"Take sleaze for example, which brought down John Major's Government. Give me one example of a scandal-hit MP who's a woman."

If quota systems were introduced for women, should they also be extended to gays and ethnic communities?

According to the Institute of Public Policy Research, there are just 12 black and Asian MPs, less than 2% of the House of Commons membership.

Have your say

So what can be done to change the nature of people we vote into Parliament?

Would quota systems for women and ethnic minorities work?

Would lowering the voting age to 16 ensure we have politicians more in touch and representative of society?

You can have your say by contacting us using the form below.

The Politics Show

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