The end of this month the Scottish Youth Parliament are going to be debating on votes at 16 and how we as a youth voice want to take this argument forward, however the SNP Administration in Holyrood have already started the debate by saying that 16 and 17 year olds should be allowed to vote in the Scottish referendum on Independence which has been proposed for 2010.
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.The Scottish government has announced plans for 16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in its planned 2010 independence referendum.
SNP ministers said they wanted to give the widest number of people a say on the nation's constitutional future.
But Labour has dismissed the move as a cynical attempt to keep the independence debate going.
In the longer term, the Scottish government wants to lower the voting age from 18 for all elections.
It is an often-quoted phrase that, at the age of 16, you can get married and join the Army.
This referendum's about Scotland's future - young people are Scotland's future
Linda Fabiani SNP MSP
Lowering the voting age is a long-standing SNP policy, and Nationalist MSP Linda Fabiani told BBC Scotland's Politics Show the referendum would be an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the party's case.
She said: "We have young people in this country who really are in tune with politics, they are entitled to get married, they pay taxes, why can't they vote?
"This referendum's about Scotland's future - these young people are Scotland's future, so, to me, it's perfectly logical, perfectly right they should be asked to vote in this referendum."
'Real business'
But Pauline McNeill, the Labour MSP, said lowering the voting age was an important issue.
But she argued: "The fact that the SNP are proposing it for their referendum, which would account for an additional 3% of those who voted, we believe is a cynical attempt by the SNP to keep this referendum issue going.
"We, once again, call on the SNP to get on with the real business of government."
There is a school of thought that most 16 and 17-year-olds would support independence - but both Ms Fabiani and Ms McNeill moved away from this theory.
"Anyone who tries to make an assumption about what 16 or 17-year-olds will do is downgrading our young people," said Ms Fabiani.
The Scottish government has already lowered the voting age to 16 in its pilot health board elections next year in Dumfries and Galloway and Fife.
But younger teenagers may have to wait a bit longer before getting the chance to vote in an independence referendum - the SNP still lacks enough parliamentary support to hold it.
I have always supported lowering the voting age to 16, I support the Scottish Government on this important issue.
If you have any questions you can e-mail me at: austin.sheridan.msyp@sypmail.org.uk
Posted by Austin Sheridan MSYP
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This article can be found at: www.austinactive.yolasite.com/blog.php
