Voting age could be lowered to 16 under Labour Mr Dugher said school leavers entering the job market are at risk of becoming "disengaged from society" because of high youth unemployment. One in five people of working age under 25 are jobless, with one million not in work, education of training. "The crisis of youth unemployment risks creating a generation that is disengaged from the economy, from society and from politics, a generation that believes they have no stake in the country," Mr Dugher said. Labour is determined to open up politics and that is why we plan to seriously look at the possibility of votes at 16 in our policy review, which is set to inform Labour's election manifesto in 2015. Number 10 has ruled out lowering the voting age, because David Cameron does not believe under 18s should be allowed to vote. However, the door has been opened to enfranchising 16 and 17 year olds because they will be allowed to vote in the referendum on Scottish independence, which will be in the autun of 2014. The Liberal Democrats are officially committed to a policy of lowering the voting age in their manifesto already.