Derek Couper: Young people deserve a fair hearing in the election campaign

Published on Monday 4 April 2011 12:15

The starter's gun has been fired, the horses are off and the Holyrood election campaign is under way. Scotland's political parties are busy making pledges, promising policies, and explaining how they'd deal with the problems facing Scotland.

But behind the electioneering and politicking there are some harsh truths. This election is being fought in the shadow of a cut in the Holyrood block grant. The next Scottish Government will have less money than the last one, and they will have to make some tough decisions. These decisions will make a real impact on my life, and the lives of all young people.

Despite this, young people are unreasonably portrayed as politically unaware. We are seen as too apathetic; too lazy to get involved and too idle to leave the thrill of the PlayStation for the realities of politics. This is patently untrue. Two weeks ago, young people from across Scotland gathered in Inverclyde to launch the SYP Youth Manifesto - Change the Picture. Change the Picture was based on more than 42,000 responses from young people from across Scotland - it is a declaration from Scotland's youth on Scotland's future. Don't tell me young people have no interest in this election.

Moreover, we deserve a fair hearing. It wasn't Scotland's youth who caused the credit crisis, the banks' behaviour, or the enormous debt and government deficit, but we are the ones who will receive this horrendous inheritance. It is the next generation that will pay the price.

This is why our manifesto is so important. It expresses the view of young people on a huge variety of issues. From equality to education, from local leisure centres to nuclear power, young people have spoken about the Scotland they want to see.

Change the Picture is not a shopping list of sweeties designed to protect young people from any cuts. It is a vision of a better Scotland, where fairness and equality are as important as politics or the economy.

Let's start with fairness. 78 per cent of our respondents believe all people should be paid equally for doing the same job. This isn't a desire for government to support us; it is a demand for society to treat young people fairly. Just because someone is younger doesn't mean their work is less valuable, nor do they deserve to be treated as a second-class citizen because of their age.

Our vision of fairness doesn't just extend to young people, either. 60 per cent believe asylum seekers should have the right to work. 65 per cent want Scotland and the UK to lead the way in meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals. On a wide range of issues the majority want a more equal society; for the disabled, for minority groups, or just for those who would otherwise be left behind.

Of course, some things do carry a cost. 85 per cent of those consulted believe: "Tuition should remain free in further and higher education. Top-up fees are not an option for a society which puts ability to learn above the ability to pay."

We believe that the new Scottish Government should fund tertiary education, not just because there is a fundamental right to education, or even because a more skilled workforce is the best way to grow Scotland's economy. It's because education is the best way for people to get out of poverty. For thousands of young Scots, it is morally unacceptable to leave university education to those who can afford it, while putting barriers in the way of people whose parents may be less wealthy. A fairer, more equal Scotland will never exist when education is provided for the wealthy, not for the able.

But it is not just tuition fees that matter to young people. We want to see local community centres and groups preserved to give us somewhere to go of an evening. We want mosquito devices, designed to deter young people from shops, removed.

Finally, we want to have our say on Scotland's future. 65 per cent believe the voting age should be 16. A voting age of 18 is an anachronism which no longer applies to a modern society - especially one where MSPs make decisions which have impacts on young people's lives.

Scotland's youth has a clear vision for a positive future. A Scotland where local communities provide opportunities for young people. A Scotland where everyone is treated equally. A Scotland where everyone has the opportunity to succeed but where society will protect those who fall on hard times. A Scotland where young people have a real say on the future of their country. That is the future the Scottish Youth Parliament will campaign for, both during and after this election.

&#149 Derek Couper is chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament