A Taxing Time for Teenagers

Alex Salmond is arguing that 16 year-olds be given the vote in the Scottish referendum.  I would suggest that anyone who is paying taxes should be entitled to vote (no taxation without representation). Conversely, there's also an argument that those in receipt of overall net benefits should not have a vote, as the vote is about how tax money is spent and to vote on that you should really be a tax contributor (no representation without taxation).

Perhaps, given the high cost of housing these days, anyone leaving full-time education and entering into the tax system should be given a 2 year tax holiday to help them save for a deposit on a house or a rented flat. If they choose to use the money that way, then all well and good; if they choose to piss it against a wall, then it's their lookout. One benefit is that without taxation, and the corresponding representation (at least under my proposed scheme), they wouldn't get their grubby hands on the vote for a few years.

I'm just waiting to hear when the next dead Radio 1 DJ is going to be accused of being a pervert; Alan Freeman, Simon Dee, David Jacobs, Stuart Henry, Kenny Everett. Strange it's only the dead ones - I suppose they're easier targets.