Black calls on the young to turn out in numbers as Labour eye up a youthful revival in Scotland
MHAIRI BLACK has urged younger voters to come out and vote against the Tories in Scotland and around the UK, emphasising the danger they pose to the economic future and rights of the young.
The SNP candidate for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, who has been the constituency MP since her headline-making victory in 2015, warned that the only way to secure free university education and youth employment in Scotland was to vote for her party.
The comments come after recent polling suggesting that a Labour revival is occurring in Scotland driven by the young and motivated by Jeremy Corbyn’s leftwing policy platform.
Both parties have found themselves battling over the votes of the young, with many sympathetic to Corbyn’s manifesto program also supporters of independence.
“That’s why it’s so important that young people turn up and vote – don’t let the Tory government leave you behind.” Mhairi Black
Commenting in the final days of the campaign, Black said: “The Tories think they can do anything they want to young people and get away with it – from hiking tuition fees to slashing housing benefit for young people and much more. That’s why it’s so important that young people turn up and vote – don’t let the Tory government leave you behind.
“Any Tory MPs elected in Scotland will simply rubberstamp whatever the Tory government does to young people, and Labour can’t win this election in Scotland – meaning that voting Labour risks letting Tory MPs in by the back door.
“Now more than ever, it is vital to have strong SNP voices standing-up for Scotland. Only then can we protect Scotland from the dangers of an unopposed Tory government at Westminster.”
Support for Labour has risen by 13 points amongst 18 to 34 year-olds
According to John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, support for Labour has risen by 13 points amongst 18 to 34 year-old Scots, but among older voters the increase has only been five points. Conversely, SNP support is down by 16 points amongst 18 to 34-year-olds and holding firm in older age groups. Scottish Labour are on 25 per cent in Scotland, up eight points according to a poll of 1024 people conducted by Survation in Scotland between May 31 and June 2.
The stance of the SNP has been to call out Corbyn and his party as weak on Brexit and EU nationals’ rights, yet seek to work Labour in an undefined ‘progressive alliance’ should Labour take enough seats on 8 June.
Young people have been asked to turn out in record numbers by UK Labour politicians who see them as crucial to changing the numbers in the General Election.
Voters between 18 and 34 were found to support independence by 72 per cent in a survey by ScotCen’s Scottish Social Attitudes. Yet Labour have consistently opposed a second referendum as well as the idea of supporting independence, leaving many younger voters with split loyalties.
A spokesperson for Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: “Every vote for the SNP in this election risks letting Theresa May back into Downing Street. We are fighting to form a majority Labour government for the many, not the few.”
Picture courtesy of Paisley Scotland
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