McLaughlin calls for voting age to be lowered

Speaking after David Cameron said the Scottish Parliament will be given the power to reduce the voting age, the local Councillor said; “I welcome the fact the Scottish Parliament will be able to lower the voting age to 16 in time for the 2016 election.

“Young people throughout Scotland were energised through participation in the recent referendum on independence.

“That has brought a new vigour to politics in Scotland and given young people an important voice in the political process.

“Sinn Féin has called for the voting age to be lowered to 16 here in the North to give young people the opportunity to have their say on their future.

“This is currently an excepted matter dealt with at Westminster. Sinn Féin are now calling on the British government to transfer the same power to the Assembly to allow us to extend the franchise to young people.”