Politicians must listen to the next generation of voters

Cymraeg
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Eleanor Burnham <info@eburnham.org.uk>

Politicians must listen to the next generation of voters - Burnham

January 29, 2007 4:02 PM

Eleanor Burnham AM is listening to the views of Wales' future voters with the help of video conferencing at the National Assembly for Wales

Ms Burnham, Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for North Wales, was one of the first AMs to use the technology to connect with schoolchildren from her North Wales constituency and find out what they really make of politics in Wales.

Ms Burnham, who recently championed the Welsh Liberal Democrat policy to lower the voting age to 16, said: "I will be talking face to face with a group of students of all ages, from Year 7 to Year 13 from Hawarden High School in Deeside.

"These pupils are members of their School Council, so I expect a grilling from them on how we do things at the Assembly down in Cardiff.

"I think it's fantastic that children are engaging with politics at every level. In this case, these pupils really know what is going on within their school and they have a valuable input into their own education. Hopefully, any advice I can give them on politics in Wales will encourage them to participate even more.

"These pupils are the next voters of Wales. It will be up to them to tell politicians what they want for the future and to make a difference with their vote. I believe as many of them as possible should be encouraged and allowed to enter the voting process at 16, when they can pay tax, get married and fight for their country.

"We in the Welsh Assembly have a responsibility to the next generation of Welsh voters, and I want to see them get all the information and experience they need to get involved in politics for life."