Representation of the People Bill — Written evidence submitted by the National Youth Agency (NYA) (RPB45)

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NYA Written Evidence
Representation of the People Bill Committee - 1 April 2026

Summary
1. The NYA welcomes the Representation of the People Bill, having advocated for this
legislative change as part of the Votes at 16 Coalition since 2003. Lowering the voting
age to 16 and enabling pre-registration represents a significant opportunity to
strengthen democratic participation among young people.

2. Around 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds will be eligible to vote at the next general
election. However, without investment in formal and, crucially, informal political
education – particularly in youth work settings, changes to voting eligibility alone
will not deliver meaningful democratic engagement.

3. Furthermore, through the NYA’s role in supporting the UK Youth Parliament following the
closure of the British Youth Council, we work with more than 300 elected Members of
Youth Parliament aged 11-18. One of their priority manifesto pledges calls on the
Government to invest in high-quality, non-partisan lesson resources for teachers to use,
and their current e-petition can be found here.

4. It is vital the voices of those the Bill will impact are represented in the process and we
would be grateful if the Committee would consider meeting with a small group of
Members of Youth Parliament to ensure their views on democratic education and
votes at 16 are heard.
“The Representation of the People Bill is a welcome step in strengthening democratic
participation by extending voting rights to 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds, but this must be matched
with access to high‑quality, non‑partisan citizenship education so young people
understand how our democracy works. Whatever your view of the Bill, young people need
rigorous, impartial education to boost turnout, foster meaningful civic engagement, and
strengthen our democracy.”
- Alex Nurton MYP , Chair of the Votes at 16 Committee in UK Youth Parliament

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What is missing from the Bill?
5. Political socialisation and education - NYA supports provisions in clause 15, which
will introduce a duty to raise awareness and provide assistance to support young
people to vote, with specific reference to local authorities’ responsibilities. However,
there is no explicit recognition of the need to improve political socialisation and
education among young people. Strengthening the Bill should involve embedding a
clear commitment to ensuring that all young people have access to high‑quality,
non‑partisan political education, both within formal education settings and crucially in
informal education settings. This would help equip young people with the knowledge,
skills, and confidence needed to engage meaningfully in democratic processes.

6. We welcome amendment New Clause 44 (NC44) which requires the Government to
report on proposals to support the extension of the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds,
through promoting awareness or making changes required to strengthen civic
education. This includes making any necessary changes required to strengthen
civic education in schools and educational settings available to relevant persons.
7. The role and remit of youth services in supporting youth participation - The Bill
currently overlooks the important contribution of youth services, including youth
workers in drawing on a wide range of sources, experiences and conversations so that
young people are supported to form their own political ideas. Youth services play a
critical role in:
➢ Providing trusted, accessible spaces where young people can explore political
issues
➢ Supporting voter registration and turnout among first‑time voters
➢ Building young people’s confidence in navigating democratic processes and
forming their own political ideas
➢ Ensuring marginalised groups of young people are not excluded from
participation
8. Upskilling and training professionals who work with young people – For those who
work with young people, additional training measures should be commissioned and put
in place to support schools, colleges and youth services to effectively roll out practical
voter and civic education.

9. Aligned to the Government’s National Youth Strategy ambition to ensure young people
are seen and heard, young people, particularly those furthest from political systems
need:
➢ Clear, accessible pathways to understanding democratic processes

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➢ Support from trusted adults, including youth workers, teachers and community
practitioners
➢ Opportunities to learn about politics outside formal education, where many
disengaged young people are reached
10. Research consistently shows that early engagement in civic activity increases long
term democratic participation, but only when accompanied by sustained political
education. Young people should be supported on their civic journey to learn about
themselves as citizens as they experience and engage with their communities and
social institutions beyond the classroom.
11. New duties on local authorities to raise awareness and support voter registration for
eligible young people, including children in care, will help reduce barriers to
participation and are welcome but the Bill must go further to include youth workers,
teachers and community practitioners who deliver frontline work with young
people.
12. Without the inclusion of the above, we risk a situation where young people gain rights
without the knowledge or confidence needed to use them.
To strengthen the Bill, we recommend including the following amendments:
13. Overt reference to political education and clear expectations on the agencies that will
deliver this. To do this, the Bill must recognise the role of youth work (definition
below) in democratic engagement.
Youth Work is an approach that seeks to ‘Enable young people to develop
holistically, working with them to facilitate their personal, social and educational
development, to enable them to develop their voice, influence and place in
society and to reach their full potential’
- National Occupational Standards, 2020
14. Adopting NC44 to strengthen civic education in schools and educational settings
available to relevant persons. This new clause would also hold the government to
account on its duty to raise awareness and provide assistance (clause 15).

15. Upskilling and training of professionals, namely youth workers on extending the
right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds so that they can meaningfully equip young people
with guidance on how to participate in local and general elections. This could look like
publishing an Informal Democratic Education Standards practice guide.

16. Commissioning accessible and fit for purpose resources for youth work settings so
that all young people from all backgrounds are aware of democratic changes and have
the opportunity to participate.