Patrick Christys teases Labour MP with whip threat as he breaks ranks with Keir Starmer on key issue

His stance prompted presenter Patrick Christys to joke: "That's the whip gone", leaving the GB News panel and Gardiner himself in hysterics.

"I don't think it's a sackable offence", he quipped in return.

The exchange highlighted tensions within Labour over the policy, which forms part of the government's democratic reform strategy announced yesterday.

Gardiner went on to explain his reasoning, arguing that the policy would be counterproductive for the Government.

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He continued: "I also think it's not a strategically good political move. Most young people want to rebel against authority."

"If you are the Government, you are that authority. Even if you were doing it for the most selfish of reasons, not the most principled of reasons, for which I'm sure the Government is doing it…"

His comments come as Labour prepares to introduce an Elections and Democracy Bill that would extend voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds across the UK.

The policy, included in Labour's 2024 election manifesto, aims to bring England and Northern Ireland in line with Scotland and Wales, where 16-year-olds can already vote in devolved elections.

The discussion also addressed concerns about electoral boundaries, with an audience member suggesting that redrawing constituencies could amount to "gerrymandering" in Labour's favour.

Gardiner acknowledged the practical challenges, saying: "It's a really important point, but if you have an extra one and a half million extra people voting, you have to redraw the boundaries."

He explained that current regulations require significant changes to constituency maps when voter numbers shift substantially.

"The Boundary Commission stipulates that constituencies have to have an electorate that is 75,000 or five per cent either way," Gardiner said.

"We've just had it, and if we have to admit all these new people onto the electoral register, we'll have to do it all over again."

The Government's plans for votes at 16 form part of a comprehensive democratic reform strategy outlined in a policy paper titled "Restoring Trust in Our Democracy", published yesterday.

The strategy includes automatic voter registration, expanded voter ID options, and changes to postal voting deadlines alongside the controversial voting age reduction.

Critics have branded the move as "gerrymandering in a school uniform", with some arguing it represents a cynical attempt to boost Labour's electoral prospects.

At 16, young people cannot buy alcohol, rent property, or serve on juries, questioning why voting should be different.

However, youth organisations including UK Youth have welcomed the announcement, arguing that young people of working age should have a say in decisions affecting their future.