Labour's plans to give 16-year-olds the right to vote branded a 'desperate attempt' to stay in power: 'Giving votes to immature kids!'

Angela Rayner has declared the move will "break down barriers" to ensure more people "have the opportunity to engage in UK democracy".

She said: "For too long public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline."

Delivering her verdict on the plans, Malone told GB News: "Labour are being really stupid here, because I think that a lot of a lot of young people now are onto Reform. If you look at Nigel Farage after he was in the jungle, he went on TikTok and he got millions of young followers.

"This is a desperate attempt by a Government that knows it stuffed and and to try and stay in power. It's going to give votes to immature, inexperienced kids."

Highlighting that many 16-year-olds are "not developed politically" and "not invested in politics", Malone added: "When you're 16, I wouldn't necessarily trust them to cross the road, never mind put the next Government in power.

"And I just think it's a really bad move, kids aren't developed politically developed at 16. You might get the odd one who is very invested in politics at that age, but very few are."

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Weighing in on Labour's decision, Britain's Newsroom host Bev Turner note her experience of being a mum to two teenagers and claimed their generation is "more likely to lean to the right".

Bev said: "Labour are doing this because historically young people have always voted for the Labour Party, and those days are gone.

"I think you're right that actually, the younger people that I talk to, and I've got two teenagers in my life, they are all much more inclined to lean to the right."

Defending the Government's plans, Labour Councillor Sebastian Salek argued that 16-year-olds should be able to "have a say in their future".

Salek argued: "I think it's more important that Labour is doing this and doing it in the name of democracy. Think back to being 16, not everybody goes to university, they join the jobs market, they go out there, they earn, they pay taxes. Why shouldn't you be able to vote as well and have a say in your future?"

Bev then interjected, questioning whether the decision will in fact "backfire on Labour" if young people turn to Reform instead.

Salek responded: "Well, maybe they do, that's an electoral problem that Labour has, but this is a democratic decision we're seeing being made. And it's incredibly important that people can have a say in their future.

"Dare I bring up Brexit, a lot of the people who voted for Brexit have died, they will never see what the impact of that. A lot of the young people who may not have voted for it are suffering the consequences, and they can't go and live and work elsewhere."