EU referendum and older voters

I think we need to listen to our grandchildren, it's their future we are deciding not ours

Our family is split as well but funnily enough the two DGCs who will be old enough to vote are thinking of voting OUT.

DD1 is undecided like me. DS will vote OUT and DD2 and DSiL will vote IN.

I agree we should listen to our children and grandchildren but we have just as much right to vote as they do.

My grandchildren aren't old enough to make such a decision, they know nothing about politics at 9.

She is entitled to that point of view, just as are all of us. She is obviously of the opinion that the consequences of leaving will be disastrous, pure speculation. It's a shame your discussion got heated, but if my DS had made that remark to me I think my response would have been sharp too!

My retort would be: "Stop being ageist".

Ask her at what age people should stop taking part in any decisions, and just sit around and let all those wonderful young people decide everything. We could start with our wills, surely it would best if we just haned over a blank sheet of paper with a signature at the foot of it?

Then there's the living will, too. We could sign a blank sheet there too, and they could fill in the rest - "I don't want to be resuscitated if my children think it is time they sold my house and used the proceeds to buy themselves new cars and a world cruise"

Could anyone suggest any other things that could be decided for us after we reach a certain birthday? I am sure we can all think of a few.

Well, we shouldn't be allowed to drive a car, for a start - all those oldies clogging up the roads and holding up the young go-getters. As soon as we're entitled to a bus pass that should be it - give the car to one of your kids and use public transport!

DGS2 is 18 today. I'm slipping a wad of cash into his birthday card having just finished icing his cake.

He'd better not piss me off suggest I'm too old to vote in a referendum.

All of legal age have the right to vote, but I think we should remember our grandchildren have to live with the outcome of the referendum vote

Agreed. But that doesn't mean everyone will think the same, nor does it mean that those who vote a different way from oneself are necessarily in the wrong. People who suggest that old people shouldn't have a vote because they think old people will vote a different way from themselves are thinking undemocratically.

Personally I think that the 16+ should have been allowed to vote in this referendum. They do have to live with it longer. As to 'oldies' not being allowed to vote as they won't live long enough - stuff and nonsense. I have voted since I got the vote and will do so until I die. I assume your daughter does actually vote. So many of the young don't. More fool them.

It will affect all of us, young and old!How very dare anyone suggest we are too old to vote ! ( totters off in a doddery way to prepare an evening meal.)

Fortunately everyone in my family will vote to stay in, the same as me.
No arguments there at all.

Devorgilla, Unfortunately, a number of young people didn't realise they had to register as individuals. The date is just after the end of university term, so some will be in limbo between term-time and home addresses and others ill be at Glastonbury. By the time they realise, it might be too late. I made sure both my children were registered. I agree with you that the age should have been lowered to 16 and also that British citizens living abroad, at least in the EU, should have had a vote.

There's another personal/parental responsibility thing where education helps. My dad made sure each of his five offspring were registered to vote as they turned eighteen. My university also registered me so in fact I had two votes the first time I was able to vote. Don't worry, I only used one, though I can't remember whether it was the postal vote my dad had organised or the one in my uni town.

Minibags is not even sixteen yet but when I re-registered DH and me last, there was an opportunity to register her too. She had to supply a signature. Don't most parents do this? If not, why not?

I have always wanted the UK to be out of the EU so will vote to leave. Since the date of the referendum has been announced I have, like all of us, been thinking more deeply about the whole thing, and about how I, the older generation, will not be affected by any result for as long as my children are. I have thought about voting for what they think about whether we should stay in or leave. Neither of my daughters has ever said that the older generation should not be allowed to vote for anything. Trisher89, does your daughter have a fixed age in mind as to when "old" people should give up the right to vote?
I found out in a chat the other day that both my girls want the UK to leave the EU. Thank heavens, there is no problem with that and I can vote as I intended all along.

thatbags, Your parents or university wouldn't be able to register you with the new system. Being registered to pay council tax or being in a university halls of residence is not enough.

Yes, the Conservatives changed the system so each individual has to register and households or universities can no longer block-register students.

I do have some sympathy with your daughter's view, Tricia, although what cut-off age does she suggest and surely such an argument could be used for any election? Even if the vote is to stay in, presumably if at a later date the country as a whole overwhelmingly wanted to leave there's not much the EU could do about it.

I think that, rather than try and prevent older people from voting, it would be a good idea if all these young people who are supposedly so keen on remaining in the EU actually got out and voted.

I am still undecided.

I agree with you, Eloethan (apart from still being uindecided ;-)). My daughter finished at uni last September and still isn't in settled accommodation. She didn't realise she wasn't registered, so I made sure she was and that she told all her friends to register and vote.

I have been reading this thread with interest .I
Am having a,problem deciding and accessing clear information as to how to either decision will affect us .

daphnedill, so how was I able to register Minibags? She is on the electoral register now even though she is only fifteen. She will get a vote when she's old enough.

I might be naive but I do find it difficult to gamble so much with the unknown in respect of jobs,and the very likelyhood of it being a few decades for the UK to obtain new markets for our exports.

I am not prepared to gamble with my grandchildren's because of prejudices of the Out brigade. As yet the Outs have not given me any accurate information to back up their case.

No, I am not going to take such a precarious gamble on such an unknown future.

I am more prepared to accept the views of World leaders other than Putin who wants us out, I wonder what is his motive?

I have carefully read the views of those wanting to leave on these pages, so many are so closely in line with the views of the Murdoch empire and that is enough for me question such motives, his attitude of the truth over Hillsborough sickened me. I keep asking myself are the media brainwashing us?

There is no way would I accept his paper as being 100% accurate with the truth, even their role of hacking is back in the news.
I honestly do not believe the media have been telling us the full truth about the EU, I prefer to keep in EU & bring about changes as members than being outside with no say.

I just do not trust the anti EU propaganda.

Let's vote to stay in.

It's only in Scotland that you can be on the electoral register at 15.
In the rest of the UK it is 16.
That's because 16 year olds can vote in some circumstances in Scotland.