LAST THURSDAY I was presented with the National Youth Voice Star Awards for my lead role in the campaign to lower the voting age. It is a real honour to receive this award, and an even greater honour to have been nominated by our hard working Oldham Youth Council.
I believe in giving a stronger voice to young people up and down the country, and the best voice is the vote. It’s why I continue to campaign to lower the voting age.
I was shortlisted alongside Mayor for Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, and Elizabeth Harding, CEO of Youth Focus North West.
I have long been a champion of votes at 16, and recently worked alongside the Oldham Youth Council to campaign on this issue in Parliament. On 3rd November I debated the issue in Parliament through my Private Members Bill, which was ultimately talked out of the Chamber by Conservative backbench MPs.
Despite the set-back in Parliament at the hands of a small number of Conservative MPs, the campaign to lower the voting age goes on.
I’d like to thank the BYC and the Oldham Youth Council for the award, and for all their work on votes at 16 campaign.
Jim McMahon OBE MP 