Give 16-
The Free Church of Scotland has urged the Smith Commission to give 16 and 17-
In its submission
to the commission the Free Church praised the nation’s youngsters for their responsible
attitude to voting in the independence referendum.
The denomination said it was “puzzling”
that 16-
Board of Trustees chairman, James Fraser, said:
“We share the almost universal welcome given to the vastly increased interest and
participation in politics, which has resulted from the referendum debate.
“We particularly
welcome the fact that it attracted interest across the whole age spectrum but especially
from young people from 16 years and upwards.
“We find it puzzling that as a nation
we are prepared to let young people marry at the age of 16 with the profound implications
that such a step has, and yet we are hesitant about giving them the opportunity to
vote.
“We believe that an interesting by-
“It would go a considerable way to maintaining
the momentum of the political debate and ensuring that young people at an early age
are given the opportunity to value and participate in democratic politics.”
The Free
Church of Scotland now has the country’s largest Christian youth wing – with over
150 delegates attending its annual youth conference.
The denomination has also seen
a significant increase in the number of 16-