As part of our communities, we should be able to have our say – and be heard – when it comes to issues such as education, green spaces and community amenities.SYG Co-Convenors, Anthony Carroll and Gillian Mackay
The Scottish Young Greens are delighted to launch our second ever "Youth Manifesto" - this time for the upcoming council elections. We've already highlighted the great success the Scottish Green Party has had in encouraging young candidates in these elections, with 36 (16%) of the party's 218 candidates across Scotland coming under the Young Greens age range (16-30).
In our manifesto, we've picked out the policies and ideas the SGP are taking to voters this year that we think are most relevant to young people. From education to transport, housing to leisure, and protecting the environment for our future, Greens have the policies necessary to make young people's lives better.
Amongst these policies, we have wholehearted support for the TIE campaign, to make education fully inclusive of all LGBTI+ pupils. We want to invest further in active travel and public transport, recognising that in cities in particular, young people are heavily reliant on these forms of travel. And we want to develop and protect leisure and culture services, which are often the first thing to go when budgets are cut but without which young people are left with nowhere to go and nothing to do.
With 16 and 17 year olds voting for the first time in council elections, it's even more important to have a focus on youth issues. Decisions taken by councils across Scotland matter just as much to young people as they do to everyone else, and our voices and needs must be at the heart of political debate.
You can read the full manifesto here.