Starmer defends votes for 16-year-olds and says he will not legalise cannabis

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted the Government will not legalise cannabis, and defended his plans to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote, as he took questions from teenagers.

The Prime Minister met students from Liverpool to answer their questions ahead of the Labour’s party conference in the city.

Speaking at the Liverpool Echo newspaper’s offices, Sir Keir was asked if he would consider legalising cannabis.

“No, I’m afraid not. What answer did you want me to give?” he replied.

Sir Keir then asked the students to put their hands up if they would support legalising cannabis.

He joked: “There’s probably a few hands that would have gone up if the cameras weren’t here.

“But, no, we’re not going down that route.”

The Prime Minister was also asked about his plans to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in general elections.

He replied: “Lots of people say ‘Oh, it would be terrible if you give 16-year-olds the vote’.

“It won’t. It already happens in Scotland, already happens in Wales, and the sky didn’t fall in.”

The PM asked for the opinion of the audience on the plans, with one teenager telling him they did not agree with extending the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds.

Sir Keir replied: “I disagree with you. I’ve just met so many 16, 17-year-olds who are really switched on, really engaged and want to have a say over their future.

“Politics is about millions of lives across the country.

“It is very much about the lives of young people, because the decisions that we make today are going to affect the world in which you’re going to be adults in, you’re going to work in, and all the rest of it. So, we’ll have to disagree on this one.”