Deadline looms as teen given Labour mandate

Mark Davey editor@arranbanner.co.uk Teenagers who turn 18 on polling day – June 8 – have until 11.59pm on Monday to register to vote.

One young man hoping to represent North Ayrshire and Arran at Westminster is only too aware of the necessity of voting as he has been selected to fight the seat for Labour.

If elected, Christopher Rimicans, 18, from Kilwinning, would not only be the youngest MP for 350 years but would receive an MPs basic salary of £74,962 plus expenses to cover the costs of running an office, staff and finding somewhere to live in the capital.

Mr Rimicans faces experienced opposition.

North Ayrshire and Arran Conservative and Unionist candidate, secondary school music teacher David Rocks, also became involved in politics aged 18. He became branch chairman of Irvine’s Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party in 2010, was elected to the constituency executive council and currently holds the post of association secretary.

The SNP candidate, Patricia Gibson, from Kilbarnie, who also taught English for 20 years, secured the seat in 2015 with a 13,573 majority and 23.3 per cent swing from Labour. Ms Gibson has wide political experience, including representing Glasgow Pollock ward as a councillor for five years from 2007 to 2012.

Scottish LibDem Mark Dickson, a humanitarian aid worker, graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, with a degree in geography and sociology.

He studied international security at St Andrews University before spending four years in Afghanistan working for a small charity. He went on to provide security support to international aid and development agencies.

Mr Dickson joined the Liberal Democrats soon after returning home to Scotland.

Unlike the May 4 council elections, people aged 16 or over on June 8 are not eligible to vote as the minimum age for a general election voter is 18.

People who wish to vote on Arran need to be on the electoral register. You can sign up online with a national insur- ance number at: www.gov.uk/ register-to-vote.

Voters who have changed address or where other details have changed are advised to check their registration at the same website or contact the electoral registration officer in Ayr on 01292 612221.

Returning officer Elma Murray said: ‘Our priority, as always, is to continue to ensure the democratic process is open, efficient and transparent. Having recently staged the local council elections, our staff are well prepared for the vote and count in June.

‘We were very encouraged by the number of people who turned out to vote earlier this month in the council elections – indeed the turnout increased by six per cent on the previous election. I hope voters will continue to ensure their voice is heard by casting their vote in the parliamentary election.’

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm and the count for the North Ayrshire and Arran constituency will be held in St Matthew’s Academy, Saltcoats, with the declaration made in the early hours of Friday June 9.