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Teenagers to gain votes at 16 in Welsh local government elections

TEENAGERS in Wales will be given the right to vote in council elections from the age of 16 under plans announced by the Welsh Labour government.

Local Government Secretary Alun Davies said the proposals — to be formally announced tomorrow — were designed to boost participation as he was concerned that young people were being “disengaged” from the political process.

At the British level, Labour urged the Tories to give all 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in general elections, arguing that only allowing over-18s to participate was “inconsistent and unsustainable.”

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