The decisions taken by councils across Scotland affect young people just as much as everyone else and it's vital we have a voice in those council chambers.Allan Faulds
Earlier this week, the Scottish Green party announced it was standing a record number of candidates in May's council elections. The Scottish Young Greens are pleased to confirm that at least 35 (16%) of the 219 Green candidates up for election on the 4th of May are 30 or under. This compares to only around 3% of all councillors elected in 2012.
Turnout amongst young people in elections is often disappointingly low, but it's unsurprising when so few politicians seem to represent us. And too many of the decisions taken on issues such as education, housing, jobs and the environment at best don't consider us, and at worst are actively damaging to our futures. If we want to engage young people with politics, we must put them at the heart of the political process.
Commenting on the figures, SYG Elections Officer and candidate for Glasgow's Victoria Park ward, Allan Faulds, said;
"I'm delighted to see so many fantastic Young Greens have joined me in putting themselves forward for election this year. It's unsurprising that the Greens have done so well in encouraging young candidates, given that our members and voters are on average much younger than the other parties.
Young people are woefully under-represented in politics, despite the wealth of skills and experience we bring with us. The decisions taken by councils across Scotland affect young people just as much as everyone else and it's vital we have a voice in those council chambers. I'm looking forward to working with my fellow candidates across the country to elect Young Green councillors that can be that voice."
You can find a full list of candidates here. You can also follow the Scottish Young Greens on Twitter or on Facebook, where we'll be highlighting candidates as we approach the election.
Age statistics: Survey of 2012 councillors