Real inconsistencies lie with SNP over giving young people a vote

During today's Scottish Government debate the SNP made the case for devolving all powers for running the Scottish Parliamentary elections in Scotland.

This includes a proposal to change the voting franchise, enabling 16 and 17-year-olds to vote.

The Scottish Conservatives remain opposed to this as we believe that we need to get more young people over the age of 18 to vote first before we look at altering the franchise.

Speaking after today's debate, Local Government spokesperson, Margaret Mitchell MSP said:

"The Scottish Conservatives remain opposed to the Scottish Government's proposal that the Scotland Bill be altered so that responsibility and powers for all elections that take place in Scotland, except those to the UK and EU Parliaments, are devolved.

"Implicit in this proposal is to give the Scottish Government responsibility for the franchise but it makes sense for issues such as this, which are of a constitutional nature, to be decided on a UK basis.

"The SNP, in arguing for 16 and 17 year olds being able to vote in elections - and in the forthcoming referendum - state that to deny this age group the right to vote shows a lack of consistency with other legal rights.

"However, the real inconsistency lies with the SNP government and is exposed by the fact that whilst it argues that young people are ready to have the vote at 16 and 17 it doesn't consider they are responsible enough to be allowed to purchase alcohol from off-licences and supermarkets till they are 21 years of age or older.

"Furthermore, in terms of arguing that as young people have the right to marry at 16 they ought to have the right to vote, it's worth pointing out that whilst they have the right to marry at this age, few young people actually chose to exercise this right.

"In fact from the approximately 126,000 young people in Scotland in 2010, a miniscule 79 from the wider 16-19 age group chose to marry.

"In addition to this, according to the Electoral Commission's consultation 'How Old is Old Enough', young people themselves were divided on whether they were ready to be given voting rights at 16.

"The same consultation stated that the evidence suggests lowering the voting age would in fact decrease the overall percentage turnout due to additional numbers of eligible but disengaged voters in the short term, with the long term effects still disputed."

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