Jo welcomes youth election results
May 19, 2006 1:02 PM
The election results show Liberal Democrat policies finding favour with young people, according to Jo Swinson
Jo Swinson MP has welcomed the results of the 2006 Electoral Commission Y Vote Mock Local Elections, which she says "point to the Liberal Democrats as the party of the future."
The election results, published earlier this week, gave the Liberal Democrats a 30% share of the vote, with Labour and the Green Party tied in second place. Approximately 100,000 pupils at more than 200 schools across the UK registered to take part in the voting, aimed at boosting young people's interest in politics.
Commenting on the results, Jo said:
"These mock elections are certainly good news for the Liberal Democrats. They show that our key aim of creating a fairer, greener, more democratic society resonates with young people, and point to the Liberal Democrats as the party of the future.
"The Y Vote project is a good thing for democracy in this country as a whole. It gives young people the chance to get involved in the excitement of an election, and fosters in them the habit of voting, which hopefully means they will continue to participate in politics when they get older.
"Lowering the voting age to 16 is often discussed as a way of increasing young people's participation in politics, and I believe that at 16, people should be given the right to vote. Today's politicians are in danger of failing to act to prevent a generation of non-voters growing up without the basic political habits that keep our democracy in good health."
The Y Vote Mock Elections project is supported by The Electoral Commission and the Department for Education and Skills. The percentage vote gained by each party in the election was: Liberal Democrats 30%; Labour 25%; Green 25%; Conservative 15%; UKIP 5%.
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