UK Trades Union Calls for Lowering Voting Age at EU Membership Referendum

© AP PhotoBritain's Prime Minister David Cameron
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron - Sputnik International
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Teenagers aged 16-17 should be allowed to vote in the future referendum on the UK membership in the European Union, the UK Trades Union Congress (TUC) told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Anastasia Levchenko — On Thursday, the British government presented a bill on the UK in-out referendum to the parliament. The Conservatives oppose lowering the age of eligibility to vote, while pro-European forces in the parliament advocate that 16- and 17-years-old should be allowed to have a say.

"The European Union provides many important protections to workers, and with 16 and 17 year olds a part of the workforce, it is vital that they have their say in the membership referendum," Owen Tudor, TUC Head of International Relations, told Sputnik.

The Scottish Independence Party claims Cameron should follow the example of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, where the minimum voting age was 16 years. Having strong representation at Westminster after the recent elections, the Scottish National Party seeks changes to the EU referendum bill.

"We have got a number of concerns about the referendum and will include the right to vote for young people as part of our representations to government. Most importantly, we believe it should not be used as an excuse by politicians or businesses to negotiate away any of the workers’ rights and social protections currently conferred by EU membership," Tudor continued.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Britian's Prime Minister David Cameron address a joint news conference following a meeting at the Chancllery in Berlin, Germany - Sputnik International
Germany Hopes UK Will Stay in EU – Merkel
Prime Minister David Cameron is currently on a tour meeting with his European counterparts trying to gather support for changes in terms of EU membership before holding a referendum.

The legislation stipulates that the vote would take place no later than on December 31, 2017. The Britons will be asked "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?"

Changes that the new UK government would like to introduce include reforming the system of contributions to the bloc's budget and providing the member states with greater powers to control migrant inflow.

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