Laura Chase

PUPILS at St Mungo's Academy in the east end of Glasgow yesterday welcomed the plans, which they said would help tackle voter apathy and give young people the opportunity to have their say on issues that affect them.

Alexandra Coyne, 16, said: "Young people in this country get a bad rap, we are all stereotyped as bad people who wear hoodies. Voting would show that we are all not like that and give us a voice that represents us."

She added: "Allowing 16-year-olds to vote would change the topic of conversation in the playground, people would talk about who they are going to vote for, instead of the latest PlayStation game."

Brian Sands, 15, said: "It will help voter apathy. Lowering the age would encourage parties to look at young people who are more than capable of electing leaders, but at the moment we are not given a voice."

Nico Cunningham, 15, said: "If I can be married and taxed at 16, I should be given the right to vote. A lot of people assume that young people don't have a clue what's going on. I am interested in politics, I am learning about it at school and I watch the news, I know more about it than some of the people who are allowed to vote. Age shouldn't be an issue, it's really frustrating."

Katy McGregor, 16, added: "It's about time. We are not given the opportunity to speak up for young people."