The right to vote in local government and devolved elections in England should be extended to sixteen and seventeen year olds, according to Stroud District Council after it voted to back the Votes at 16 campaign on Thursday.

Low turnout, Brexit and even terrorism were among the topics raised by councillors as they spent their annual meeting on May 18 debating whether the UK’s voting age should be lowered to sixteen.

Sixteen year olds can pay tax, consent to sex, get married, and serve in the armed forces - and yet cannot cast a ballot, pointed out the motion brought by Doina Cornell, leader of SDC’s Labour group.

During the discussion, many councillors suggested that the UK’s vote to leave the EU had turned young people off to politics.

“The lack of hope amongst young people is bad news for our society,” said Skeena Rathor (Stroud Central, Labour), “and Votes at 16 will inject some much needed enthusiasm into our democracy.”

Many insisted sixteen year olds were ready for the responsibility of voting.

“From my time teaching I’ve found there is absolutely no correlation between age and wisdom,” said Nigel Prenter (Rodborough, Labour), who teaches politics at Stroud High School.

But some councillors were sceptical, suggesting that young people today did not have enough knowledge or experience.

“Our generation had a much more rounded education - we were better informed at sixteen," said Keith Pearson (Painswick and Upton, Conservative).

The debate was watched from the wings by Stroud District Youth Council, set up in 2000 and as way to represent young voices in the district.

Having passed the motion with thirty votes in favour, six against and seven abstentions, SDC will now work with the youth council to raise awareness of the Votes at 16 campaign.

Cllr Cornell will also write to the Prime Minister requesting she considers extending the voting age to sixteen for local government and referendum in England.