"Vote at 16"

At SNP Conference in Aviemore on Saturday 27th October 2007, SNP delegates unanimously backed the YSI's resolution calling for votes at 16.

David Linden, YSI National Organiser and branch member, can be seen putting the case on this youtube video...



David McDonald, a Glasgow councillor and fellow branch member, seconded the resolution, which reads:

Conference re-affirms the party’s long standing support for reducing the voting age to 16 years old, an age where a young adult can get married, form a civil partnership, have children, pay tax, join the armed forces and much more but cannot vote.

Conference regrets that, despite being responsible for local government elections, the Scottish Government is prevented by the Scotland Act from reducing the voting age for local authority elections to 16 and ensuring that young people are given the real voice in our democracy that they deserve.

Conference calls on the Westminster Parliament to remove this reserved power from the Scotland Act to allow the Scottish Government full control over voting rights in Scottish local government elections.


The success of this resolution demonstrates that we, as an organisation, can have a significant impact on the youth of Scotland. We hope to continue this fight until the voting age is reduced to 16.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7065046.stm