CALLS to lower the voting age to 16 are being backed by a group of young people but branded "cynical vote-grabbing" by one councillor.

Last week, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy accused the Government of "neglecting young people" and called for the voting age to be lowered by two years.

Mr Kennedy says the voting age could be altered in the Electoral Administration Bill, which is currently before Parliament, but says Labour and the Tories did not have the courage to back the move.

Becky Ribbens, a member of the Dartford Youth Council, which represents the views of the borough's young people, says she supports Mr Kennedy.

The 15-year-old Wilmington Hall School pupil said: "When I turn 16 I will be able to raise a family, join the Army and pay taxes I should have a say in choosing our Government.

"Our voices should be heard, by giving us the responsibility of voting, the Government would be encouraging 16-year-olds to be more mature."

But Dartford councillor Alex Dunn, the portfolio holder for the youth council, disagrees.

He said: "This suggestion perhaps owes more to cynical vote-grabbing than anything else.

"We seem to have a strange anomaly where you can be 18 to vote but must be 21 to stand as a candidate. I would support lowering this age to 18 but not the voting age to 16.

"Voting is something different. It is a real privilege you are given by society.

"We should treat it very carefully, I think it is a bit sad the issue has become a political football."

Matt Thomas, a member of Sevenoaks District Council's Generation X democracy project, said: "You can be taxed at the age of 16, so why should 16-year-olds not be allowed to have a say in who sets tax rates and how the country is run when they are contributing towards it?"

A report from the Electoral Commission last year said the voting age must remain at 18 but should be reviewed again in four to six years.