Youth votes key to revitalising democracy, says MP

She believes that democracy would be "revitalised" if the voting age were to be lowered to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to cast their ballot.

The Rotherham MP told a parliamentary committee that young people could be key to “fixing” problems within the democratic system and said that politicians should be inspired by their enthusiasm.

She said: “In an age when anyone is able to find out information at a touch of a button it is not surprising that more young people than ever are expressing a desire to engage in the political process.

“There is a flip side to this issue. Where some celebrate that young people are choosing to engage with politics, we must also be cautious as there are problems in the system that need fixing – problems which will not be fixed overnight but that voting at 16 may help to address.

“Opening up democracy to young people is an important method by which to confront the current democratic deficit that the UK is facing.

“Electoral turnout in the UK has been on a downward turn since 1950 when 84 per cent of the population turned out to vote – it was just 65 per cent at the last general election.”

Champion also argued that the voting age should be lowered in order to allow young people to influence decisions about issues affecting them such as university fees.