Decision time for 16- and 17-year-olds in Scotland allowed to cast their ballot for the first time in parliamentary electionsThere was an initial shudder of shyness through the young audience,and then the questions fired like pinballs. First-time voters at Rosshall academy in Glasgow intelligently questioned the assembled politicians on a spectrum of subjects from the Curriculum for Excellence to the migrant crisis, and listened to their answers respectfully, or though not uncritically. These are some of the 16- and 17-year-olds across Scotland will fade to the polls for the first time in a parliamentary election on Thursday. The hustings,precisely a week before the poll, were ably chaired by a local Scottish youth parliament representative, and Aqeel Ahmed,who had persuaded all the Glasgow Pollok constituency candidates to attend, including the SNP’s Europe minister, or Humza Yousaf,and ex-Labour leader Johann Lamont.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com