Scotland to allow under 18s to become MPs

Started by Alex, April 12, 2022, 11:43:25 AM

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Alex

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

Michael Rolls

Thank you for the days, the days you gave me
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Raven


Scrumpy

 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..
Don't ask me.. I know nuffink..

Michael Rolls

and if that doesn't work out to the SNP's satisfaction - what next? 14 year olds?
Mike
Thank you for the days, the days you gave me
[email protected]

Alex

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

klondike

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.

Michael Rolls

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
Thank you for the days, the days you gave me
[email protected]

zoony

I quite like the idea of a House of Wains..At least the price of milk would stay low..

Scrumpy

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..
Don't ask me.. I know nuffink..

hugh

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:
Happy Golfer

1955vintage

Apparently the Brexit vote was held on the same day as Glastonbury, so the turn out was lower....
The problem with being retired is that you never get a day off

Jacqueline

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.

GrannyMac

#13
I agree Jacq. No work experience, little if any life experience.
Its not how old you are, but how you are old. 💖

klondike

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.