What is your opinion on an 18 year old standing for election?

[Honeyroar]

A nearby area has just announced that an 18 year old will be standing for election for one of the local political parties. What’s your opinion? Do you think that they can do a good job with so little life experience? They’ve been a member of youth politics and school council.

It's all very well criticising "career politicians" and objecting to the type of people who stand - but what else do you suggest?

We - as a society - get the politicians we deserve. You have to get involved, join political parties, select candidates, support their campaigns, even consider standing as a candidate yourself. Just waiting for someone you approve of to stand so you can vote for them isn't enough.

But nor has this boy Lollypop. He's not moved out of home, not applied for uni, not had a loan or mortgage. Only been driving 6 months..

How do you know all this? I have no idea if any of the candidates in my area live at home, have been to Uni, drive at all or anything about their financial position.

🤦🏻‍♀️

Sorry if I've missed this, but what party, OP?

It's very dependant on the individual: Mhairi Black is very very good, Ross Greer is appalling...

Agree with ItsAllGoingToBeFine on this one. There are plenty of MPs in the current house and beforehand who in my view have never been able to do a good job, regardless of their politics.

Mhairi Black's one of the best MPs in the house. And let's be honest he couldn't possibly be any worse than the two pensioners slugging it out over the despatch boxes now.

I think the people refusing to vote for an 18 y/o solely because of their age are ridiculous. Imagine flat out dismissing any other section of society due to one identifying feature? Depending on their circumstances an 18 y/o could have a lot more relevant experience and empathy on growing up in poverty/the nhs/state education/racism/data protection/social media/sexual offences and all the other issues their constituents might raise to them, than a privately schooled oxbridge educated 70 y/o.

If people are old enough to vote then they are old enough to be elected.

The whole point of democratic representation is that it represents the whole electorate (certain obvious exceptions such as those imprisoned, with severe mental impairments, etc.) - i.e. 'No taxation without representation.' It's not fair if a significant proportion of the electorate is not represented (e.g. 18-30 y/o) solely due to their age.

a throwaway seat for that particular party

That is probably the crux of it.

Well it depends. If for example he was brought up on a council estate and watched his parents struggle and and budget then Yes.
However if he comes from a middle or upper class estate and went to a£10,000 per term private school them No. He's not had enough or anytime IN the RW. Mind you I'm singling him out there as which politician has had to live in the Real world.

My MP, Tom Pursglove, became a Tory Councillor at 19. I don't know if he was any good, as it was not in the town where I live. He was elected MP for Corby and East Northants when he was 27. At the time he was the youngest Conservative MP. He is a bit of a Marmite figure. He is certainly no Maihri Black.
He often mentions that his parents were Police officers, and he went to a local comprehensive, so fairly middle of the road background. Went to University in London.
He was mentored by Peter Bone MP.
He is P PS to Sajid David, so probably a Tory rising star.
I think his has been a fairly standard route into politics.
Maybe this is the route your 18 year old candidate wants to follow.

I'm not sure I'd vote for them. But the last thing I'd do is discourage them from trying.

I think I’d have had different qualities as an 18 year-old, some of them good and some of them bad. The lack of life experience is definitely a disadvantage, but the energy and optimism I had as an 18 year-old would have been positive I think. Politicians who still think they can change the world aren’t a bad thing.

I’d not vote for them. Total lack of life experience.

Not a chance. They’ve barely been out of short trousers for five minutes!

I wouldn't role out voting for someone just on age, I think it's important to have a wide variety of people in politics including a range of ages.

I would if they were passionate, intelligent and caring. At 18, you can kill or die in uniform, contract debts, get married etc etc. I'd expect a good command of language and a complete absence of "super" as a reinforcement adjective.

I have a very intelligent 17 yo DS, he's very idealistic and there's not a chance in hell that I'd vote for him. So no, I wouldn't vote for an 18yo.

I think it's interesting that we're happy for 18 year olds to suffer the worst consequences of a democracy; living with Brexit for 60 years, fighting in wars, dealing with austerity but don't want them to have power.

Some people would though. See m y post about TP above. Maybe being a Tory in a Tory area helps.

Pitt the Younger was prime minister at 24. Yeah, I'd vote for an 18 year old.

For me it would depend entirely on the individual candidate. He could hardly be worse than the current crop of idiots.

Are you writing an article about this OP? Just it's a weird OP - why do you want.to know what people think?

He obviously is passionate but I think at eighteen he has absolutely no life experience and is barely out of nappies.

I also think he would probably be very good at talking the talk but walking the walk would be way out his genre and depth- and that’s where it matters.

I certainly wouldn’t be voting for an eighteen year old, no.

Are you writing an article about this OP? Just it's a weird OP - why do you want.to know what people think?

Every single board on mumsnet is asking what people think 😂😂😂😂