Votes at 16: Is citizenship education up to scratch?
20 November 2025, 6:15 pm – 7:30 pm
Location: UCL Institute of Archaeology, lecture theatre G6 31-34 Gordon Square London WC1H 0PY
Think tank: The Constitution Unit
This event hosted by UK think tank the Constitution Unit discusses how prepared young people are to take part in elections.
In July 2025, the UK government announced that the voting age would be lowered to 16. This reform, among others, aims to broaden the country’s democratic base and modernize the political system. Yet in an age of misinformation and “fake news,” questions remain about how well-prepared young people are to evaluate the reliability of information and make informed decisions at the ballot box.
What are the main challenges to fostering democratic inclusion among young people? Our panel of experts will explore the current state of citizenship education in the UK and discuss ongoing efforts to strengthen civic engagement among young people nationwide.
Speakers
Hattie Andrews – founder of The Politics Project in 2015 to develop creative and interactive programmes that empower young people to use their voice
Emma Connolly – Research Fellow in the Department of Political Science
Hans Svennevig – Lecturer in Citizenship Education and the Subject Leader – Citizenship PGCE at the UCL Institute of Education.
Prof Alan Renwick – Deputy Director of the UCL Constitution Unit and Professor of Democratic Politics in the UCL Department of Political Science (Chair)
