A university chancellor whose great-grandmother was the leader of the UK Suffragette movement has called for more consistency across younger people voting in the UK.

Activist, scholar and writer Helen Pankhurst CBE is championing that those aged 16 and 17 should have more of a voice when it comes to politics. 

The Chancellor of the University of Suffolk is the great-granddaughter of British political activist and the organiser of the UK Suffragette movement, Emmeline Pankhurst and the granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst, who also lead the UK Suffragette movement.

She was appointed as Chancellor of the University of Suffolk in 2018, 100 years after some women were given the right to vote.

She said: "At the moment, in Scotland and Wales, younger people are allowed to vote in local elections.

"Why not have a consistency to that and allow it in England?

"Another point is that older people are still able to vote, but then there are 16 and 17-year-olds who have a voice, but they're not being heard.

"Why are the views of older people being heard, when I believe it is really important to include the younger generation so that they can be heard too.

"The world needs to be shaped by the views of 16 and 17-year-olds, because the most important issues affecting us, such as climate change, we know that the younger generation are concerned about it, so surely we need to hear their views and policies."

She has also said that ways to get more younger people involved in politics, would be to have debates at school, reflecting on issues such as the environment and democracy.

She continued: "From my experience, with younger people, the more you engage with them, the more they engage with the world, and that's a really positive ambition to reflect."