Last week Keir Starmer was branded a ‘dictator’ for moving to postpone a number of crucial electoral tests next year.

The outrage, especially from Reform UK, was swift and brutal, with the PM being accused of acting like a “third world dictator”, and “governing like a despot”.

While there is an argument in support of Labour’s decision to delay some local elections next year due to local government reforms, a new announcement by a senior Cabinet minister this weekend risks reigniting claims of election-fixing all over again.

Speaking on Sky News yesterday, Leader of the Commons Lucy Powell said that Labour’s plans to allow 16 and 17-year-olds the vote could come as early as next year.

It appears that while much of the media has been distracted by the sideshow of Reform and Elon Musk, Keir Starmer has been working away at his plan that will materially affect the outcome of elections for decades to come.

Ms Powell said: “We do have a manifesto commitment to look more broadly at our elections regime in this country, from things like votes at 16, which we’re committed to.

“But also to make sure that our electoral system has got that integrity and is robust from many of the new issues that [we] face undermining our democracy and our elections.”

“We are committed to bringing forward some changes to the way in which elections are run in this country. There will be an Elections Bill, probably in the next parliamentary session, but obviously we’ve not made those decisions yet, because we are committed to things like voter 16, which is in our manifesto.

“And our manifesto also said that we would look at other issues to make sure that all elections in this country are fair, are robust, are free.”

Labour’s promise to bring in votes at 16 is not necessarily new, but it sticks in the craw even more-so now – after five months of Labour in power – than it did during the election.

It is clear Labour does not consider 16-year-olds to be grown up enough to make key decisions about their own lives.

Take the smoking ban – in a few years time, not even newly-turned 18-year-olds will be allowed to light up a cigarette. Labour believes teenagers shouldn’t have the right to make decisions about their own personal lives, but should be allowed a say over the lives of everyone else at the ballot box.

Just last year, we as a society decided that 16 and 17-year-olds will not be allowed to marry or enter a civil partnership, even if they have parental consent and changed the law to ban it.

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Across all areas of life, whether it be societal rights or personal freedoms, the West is increasingly disposed to babying teenagers and young adults.

Just three days ago, the head of the AA said young drivers should be banned from having passengers.

And yet we’re supposed to believe that on the one issue of voting at elections, Labour of all parties has suddenly discovered a love of personal empowerment and responsibility?

No one should buy it for a second that this is anything other than a plan to rig elections in Labour’s favour.

Paired with last week’s outrage over delaying local election votes, and once again we see a Labour Party which wouldn’t know clever politics if it bit them on the backside.