Young people on issues inspiring trip to the polls
Young people have registered to vote in higher numbers than ever before, according to the Electoral Reform Society.
The think tank believes about 67 per cent of an estimated 3.2million applications since the election was called have been made by people aged 34 and under.
Here, the Sunday Mail meets some of the young electorate who will be heading to the polls for the first time.
MARCIE SMITH, from Lossiemouth, Moray, will turn 18 on polling day, making her one of the youngest voters in the UK.
The first-year history student from Aberdeen, who is undecided between Labour or the SNP, described the election as “the most important of a generation”.
Marcie said: “I’m basing my vote more on social issues.
“My friends and I talk about things that matter to young people, including the NHS, education and health.”
RYAN HENRY, 18, from Giffnock, Glasgow, will be voting for Boris Johnson’s Conservative party on December 12.
The seat, previously held by Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy until 2015, is now being predicted as a toss-up between the Tories and the SNP. As a Tory party member Ryan, has strong opinions on Brexit and IndyRef2.
He said: “My main issues are getting Brexit done and opposing the SNP in their independence plans.”
He also regards PM Boris Johnson as a strong leader.
Ryan added:
“He’s not always been the most politically correct but he should be judged more on his actions rather than on the opinions he holds.”
GRACE MIDDLETON, 20, a digital media student at Forth Valley College, will be voting Labour in Stirling.
She said: “The issues that matter most to me in this election are preserving and funding public services, ending our austerity crisis, improving public transport and giving appropriate funding to our NHS.”
Stirling is the tightest-held Tory marginal in Scotland, with incumbent Stephen Kerr beating his SNP rival by 148 votes at the 2017 general election.
Although Labour came a distant third at the last election, Grace added: “I’m voting Labour because I believe in and wholly support the Labour manifesto.”
Bar manager NAIOMI WAKEHAMAREDES, 26, recently moved to Horsham in West Sussex after living in Scotland for six years.
She said: “Jeremy Corbyn has been great in motivating young people to register to vote.
“The biggest chance of a Labour government is if the young people turn out in large numbers.
“This is the last chance to make a difference.”
And as a gay woman and supporter of
LGBTQ+ rights, she feels particularly angry that Boris Johnson has compared gay marriage to “three men marrying a dog”.
MATTHEW MORRISON, who turns 21 next week, will be voting for the Green Party in Stirling.
The third-year student from Banchory said: “The Greens won’t win but an increase in votes could hopefully give them more influence in decision making.
“This could enable them to push through more of their Green ideas.”
HEATHER GRAHAM, 21, is set to vote tactically for the SNP in West Dunbartonshire.
She said: “Since 2010,
I have seen the decline in public services. You need to bring people up, not push them down, which is the difference between the Tories and other parties.”