Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:44 pm on 6 February 2018.
Well, I'm afraid I couldn't disagree with the Member more about almost everything she said, which is a shame, as part of this. I personally exercised my vote in the European elections and many of the women in my family did so as well. It was always open to people to exercise their vote in the democratic elections for the Members of the European Parliament, and, indeed, we have a previous Member of the European Parliament as part of the Labour benches in this Assembly. So, I disagree entirely with what Michelle Brown said, but I will make a couple of other remarks. No relative of mine voted in the general election in December 1918 because they were working class and owned nothing. So, actually, the celebration of universal suffrage is the one that I would be looking forward to. I'm also looking forward to taking forward the debate about votes at 16, so that we lower the voting age so that everybody in this country who is eligible to pay taxes has proper representation in the places that represent them.
We had the Brexit vote, and of course the Government will honour it, but what we didn't do is have a vote about the terms of that Brexit. We've had that debate elsewhere, we don't need to have it now. But the three themes of the centenary celebration are very important here. The educate one is very important. It is very important indeed that people thoroughly understand all of the circumstances of their democracy so that they continue to make the right decision when they exercise their vote responsibly.