Should 16 and 17 year olds be allowed to become political candidates? New proposals aim to answer that question
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A new consultation has been launched that includes whether or not to allow 16 and 17 year olds to stand as candidates in elections and take part in frontline politics.
The move came in a new electoral reform consultation that was revealed earlier this month and drew some criticism about having such young people serve in parliament and councils.
The Scottish Government has paved the way to include younger people in mainstream politics after extending the franchise to those 16 and above back in 2016 but the age for candidacy remains 18.
But also included in the potential changes is allowing people without indefinite leave to remain in the UK or Scotland to be allowed to sit in local authorities or in the parliament.
But before the plans reached the public the consultation document itself notes a number of issues in a section titled “Potential issues in relation to expanding candidacy rights.”
It says: “Enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to stand for election could be argued to raise potential well being concerns, such as the potential exposure of young people to intimidation (e.g. in the form of hate speech or on the campaign trail).
“Working hours at the Scottish Parliament and in local councils could also be a potential concern for 16 and 17-year-old representatives. The Scottish Parliament's normal Parliamentary week is between the hours of 14:30 and 17:30 on Monday, 09:15 and 17:30 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and 09:30 and 12:30 on Friday a meeting of the Parliament may continue to 19:00 on Wednesday if the Parliament so decides.
“An MSP may also have to live in Edinburgh during the week, if their home is too far away to travel to the Parliament each day, which could be an additional concern for 16 and 17 year olds.
“It could also be argued that holding office at the age of 16 or 17 could impact on a young person's education (e.g. in the taking of exams) and there are also data protection issues that arise in relation to the handling of personal data of persons aged under 18.”
It goes on to note the issues related to those who do not have unlimited leave to stay in the country: “Enabling a person with limited leave to remain in the UK to hold elected office raises a number of issues if their leave comes to an end during the person's term of office.
“If leave to remain were to expire during an MSP or councillor's term of office, and they were unable to extend their leave or switch to a different form of leave, the person would have no choice but to resign as an MSP or councillor.
“A by-election might then be required to fill the vacancy. The cost in holding a Local Government by-election has been estimated to be in the region of £50,000.”
The consultation is currently live and open to comment.
