House of Lords Back Teenager Participation in Referendum on EU Membership

House of Lords gives the right to 16- and 17-year-old UK citizens to participate in the upcoming British referendum on membership in the European Union, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Britain’s exit from the European Union – the so-called Brexit – will be voted on in a referendum by the end of 2017, as promised by Cameron during the pre-election campaign in spring.

Lords backed the extension of  teenagers' electoral rights with 293 members of the House, while 211 voted against it, The Guardian reported Wednesday.

According to the newspaper, this move would lead to the delay in the term UK government could hold the referendum in, because country's electoral commission would need additional time to include all the teenagers in the voting lists.

London is not satisfied with its stance within the European Union and wants additional preferences, threatening Brussels to leave the bloc after the referendum. Britain wants the right not to commit itself to EU's pledge of an "ever closer union," curb social benefits for EU migrants, secure greater protections for non-eurozone countries in the EU bloc, and more power for national government.