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Main boards => Politics => Topic started by: Alex on April 12, 2022, 11:43:25 AM

Title: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: Alex on April 12, 2022, 11:43:25 AM
Scotland is set to become the first part of the UK to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to stand for election, with the rules due to be in place by the time of the next Holyrood vote.   Electoral rules in other parts of the UK, state a person needs to be 18 to enter Westminster, or one of the other parliaments.

Young people certainly need a voice, but would you fancy visiting your MP with a problem to be faced across the table by a 16 year old ?

Is the SNP is getting desperate  ?  :grin:

Source The Independent
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: Michael Rolls on April 12, 2022, 11:44:37 AM
yes
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: Raven on April 12, 2022, 11:54:44 AM
WHAAATTTT?   :wtf:  [1080] [1100]
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: Scrumpy on April 12, 2022, 12:10:55 PM
 I am sure there are some 16/17yr olds out there who have more knowledge of the (Real) world than many of those (rich) boring old farts in government..


Rishi Sunak being a prime example.. Far too wealthy to understand the needs of others..
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: Michael Rolls on April 12, 2022, 12:15:22 PM
and if that doesn't work out to the SNP's satisfaction - what next? 14 year olds?
Mike
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: Alex on April 12, 2022, 12:26:51 PM
It was an Independent article from 2018 so I wondered why it had been brought back up and it seems it's "in the pipeline" perhaps it won't happen, but the SNP is a bit desperate for votes so who knows ?

https://www.thenational.scot/news/20058186.elections-snp-want-16-year-olds-able-run-office/?msclkid=1c880260ba5311ec9e050565c43dcbbe
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: klondike on April 12, 2022, 12:27:44 PM
It has always been the case that in many places a pig with the right colour rosette would get elected. People deserve what they get. If somebody votes for a 16 year old or even a babe-in-arms then they can complain to nobody about how well they are being represented.

In this case it would appear to be a cynical manoeuvre to gain the youth vote. Any valid vote is worth acquiring. As we have seen some reckon invalid ones are too.
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: Michael Rolls on April 12, 2022, 03:06:12 PM
The SNP are desperate. They lost the independence vote, for which they blame anyone over about 35, so the more they can bribe 'yuff' the better they expect their chances to  be of winning a second referendum if Westminster is stupid enough to grant them one. They are like they EU (which they want to joinn) - if you don't get the result you want, come back again, and again, and....
Never forget- both Salmond and Sturgeon accepted that the result was (according to source) a once in a generation vote or even a once in a lifetime vote. Now I know life expectancy north of the border is lower than that to the south - but really!
Mike
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: zoony on April 12, 2022, 03:45:53 PM
I quite like the idea of a House of Wains..At least the price of milk would stay low..
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: Scrumpy on April 12, 2022, 05:05:36 PM
If I remember rightly the Remainers  during Brexit we're relying on the young voters... but, alas, many couldn't be arsed to go along and vote..
The young are enjoying their youth and most have more exciting things to think about..
I know that I wasn't interested in politics or the price of bread when I was a teenager..
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: hugh on April 28, 2022, 03:26:04 PM
Quote from: Scrumpy on April 12, 2022, 05:05:36 PM
If I remember rightly the Remainers  during Brexit we're relying on the young voters... but, alas, many couldn't be arsed to go along and vote..
The young are enjoying their youth and most have more exciting things to think about..
I know that I wasn't interested in politics or the price of bread when I was a teenager..


So true Scrumpy spot on :upvote: :upvote: :upvote:
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: 1955vintage on April 28, 2022, 03:45:56 PM
Apparently the Brexit vote was held on the same day as Glastonbury, so the turn out was lower....
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: Jacqueline on April 29, 2022, 12:19:40 AM
I thought I knew it all at 16 and made bad misjudgements,  I would not wish my 16 year old self on Parliament, what experience did I have of !ife?  I have grown up a bit since then and hopefully learned along the way.   You can make mistakes at any age really but an MP who is barely out of school, what a daft idea.
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: GrannyMac on April 29, 2022, 06:51:50 AM
I agree Jacq. No work experience, little if any life experience.
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: klondike on April 29, 2022, 09:23:29 AM
If folks are daft enough to vote for them then they can't complain IMO.
To my mind there should be no MPs under 40 or without some real world work experience.
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: Michael Rolls on April 29, 2022, 09:30:19 AM
Quote from: klondike on April 29, 2022, 09:23:29 AM
If folks are daft enough to vote for them then they can't complain IMO.
To my mind there should be no MPs under 40 or without some real world work experience.
Being a softy, I would have said 35, bit I agree with the concept - and I do not like to see MPs who have done nothing else but come up through the political system.
Mike
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: klondike on April 29, 2022, 09:35:26 AM
You'd be had pressed to find any of them who didn't. Is having been in Parliament for 30 years something to be proud of or just a demonstration of lack of ambition and experience of anything else.
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: Michael Rolls on April 29, 2022, 09:36:44 AM
to my mind yes - the latter, unless that 30 years was preceded by useful experience
Mike
Title: Re: Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs
Post by: klondike on April 29, 2022, 09:45:15 AM
Unless they are approaching retirement they would be hard pressed to have gained much useful experience prior to 30 years as an MP. 10 years as an intern doesn't count.