SIR – I am writing in reply to D S Boyes’s latest rant about the Labour Party and its suggestion that the voting age be lowered (Letters, January 31).

He accuses them of trying to seal elections again, but appears to have had a memory loss. Was it not the Tories, during this Parliament, who tried to fix the constituency boundaries in their favour until they lost the support of their Lib-Dem collusionists?

He also lists ‘adult things’ for 18-year-olds, but omits those you can do at 16. For example, paying tax and joining the armed forces!

If you can serve your nation, you should have a say in who sends your comrades to war.

In addition, in my view, no taxation without representation should be a basic premise of democracy.

Peter Ashton, Sandals Road, Baildon