Representation of the People Bill — Written evidence submitted by Shout Out UK (RPB48)

Representation of the People Bill (14th April 2026)

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Session 2021-22

Representation of the People Bill

Written evidence submitted by Shout Out UK to the Representation of the People Public Bill Committee (RPB48)

This submission draws on the evidence collated by the
All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Political and Media Literacy and Shout Out UK
, its secretariat.

·

For the purposes of this submission:

o

"Political Literacy"
means the knowledge and skills necessary to comprehend and participate in the democratic process.

o

"Media Literacy"
means the ability to use, understand and critically assess media and communications.

Our evidence-driven policy proposals establish the symbiotic relationship between voting rights and the educational tools required to exercise them effectively. We propose that the government should urgently implement a national strategy for Political and Media Literacy (PML) education and teacher training to commence alongside the extension of the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds. The government’s proposed curriculum reforms to PML education, with planned implementation in 2028, will not come soon enough for future voters at the next General Election who may now be aged 12-16.

Our Evidence:

·

The Missing Link report
by Shout Out UK and the APPG on Political and Media Literacy
shows a significant gap in teacher confidence, with only 1% of teachers currently feeling confident teaching political issues; many educators currently feel they lack the training and support necessary to teach these subjects effectively.

·

The Lesson from WalesIn Wales, lowering the voting age without a concurrent rollout of PML education resulted in lower-than-expected turnout, with young people reporting they lacked sufficient knowledge about candidates and the democratic process. Electoral Commission report
here
.

·

Counteracting PolarisationRobust PML is essential for young voters to navigate a landscape of political polarisation, misinformation and algorithmic influence.
Research shows
that social media is the dominant source of news for younger Britons: 56% of young men and 60% of young women aged 16-34 say that they get the majority of their information about current events from social media. 79% of those aged 16-34 are concerned about misinformation in the content they view. However,
a 2022 report from media watchdog Ofcom
found that only 11% of 11 to 17 year olds could reliably recognise whether or not content was factual.

·

A 2026  investigation
by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, in collaboration with Shout Out UK has shown that algorithms appear to be amplifying extreme and sensationalist content, including AI ‘slopaganda’, ultimately spreading disinformation, polarising debate, and eroding trust in democratic processes. The APPG has drafted
a new policy brief
in response to this phenomenon, using evidence that a UK registered political party paid a content creator to produce campaign materials using AI-generated avatars.

·

Informed Participation:

Evidence
confirms that 16-year-olds are keen to take part in the democratic process, but feel they lack fundamental knowledge of the democratic process. Additionally,
Ofcom has found
that the proportion of 16-17 year olds confident in judging what is real or fake online fell from 82% in 2022 to 75% in 2023 and 2024. Young people urgently need the foundational skills to discern credible sources and evaluate conflicting narratives to avoid susceptibility to manipulation.

Our Recommendations:

·

Invest in Teacher Capacity
. Effective delivery is the linchpin of success. Addressing the recognised gap in current citizenship education, ahead of the implementation of the Curriculum & Assessment reforms in 2027, will require significant, sustained financial investment in teacher training and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) across all Key Stages. This will overcome the lack of teacher expertise and capacity that currently hinders effective delivery.

·

Levy for LiteracyEstablish a 1% levy on UK profits from online platforms to fund media literacy training, counter-balancing the harms of algorithmic amplification. This recommendation has been already made by the House of Lords’ Communications and Digital Committee’s
2025 report
on Media Literacy.

·

Implement Votes at 16 with Supporting Reforms
. The franchise extension must be accompanied by essential electoral reforms, notably automatic voter registration (e.g., at National Insurance number issuance) to address the low registration rates among 16- and 17-year-olds. Furthermore, any Voter ID policy review must consider the types of identification typically held by this age group to ensure accessibility.

In conclusion, the success of Votes at 16 is inextricably linked to comprehensive political and media literacy education. These measures represent a vital, long-term investment in the

future of UK democracy. Read our full policy brief on Votes at 16.

March 2026

Prepared 14th April 2026

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