Votes at 16: Is Citizenship Education up to Scratch?

Organised by the UCL Department of Political Science and the UCL Constitution Unit

In July 2025, the UK government announced that the voting age would be lowered to 16. This reform, among others, aims to broaden the country’s democratic base and modernize the political system. Yet in an age of misinformation and “fake news,” questions remain about how well-prepared young people are to evaluate the reliability of information and make informed decisions at the ballot box.

What are the main challenges to fostering democratic inclusion among young people? Our panel of experts will explore the current state of citizenship education in the UK and discuss ongoing efforts to strengthen civic engagement among young people nationwide.

Meet the speakers

Hattie Andrews founded The Politics Project in 2015 to develop creative and interactive programmes that empower young people to use their voice. Prior to founding The Politics Project she worked for a variety of organisations in formal education and youth and community work, including UpRising, DebateMate, the Tutor Trust and National Careers Service. She is a graduate of the University of Manchester where she studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

Emma Connolly is a Research Fellow in the Department of Political Science. She is working with the Digital Speech Lab, leading its new initiative in digital civic education. Her academic work focuses on the viral movement patterns of narratives on social media platforms. She has recently completed her PhD in Politics and International Studies at the Open University.

Hans Svennevig is the Subject Leader for the Citizenship PGCE at UCL Institute of Education. Hans has 20+ years of experience in education including teaching Citizenship and Politics courses, and leading departments in schools, colleges, Higher Education and the charity sector. Hans is a Trustee of the Association for Citizenship Teaching. 

Chair: Prof Alan Renwick is Deputy Director of the UCL Constitution Unit and Professor of Democratic Politics in the UCL Department of Political Science.

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