Mhairi Black: '˜Tories will leave young voters behind'

A prominent SNP candidate has urged young people to cast their ballot at Thursday's general election or risk being 'left behind' by a Conservative Government.

By The Newsroom Monday, 5th June 2017, 12:58 pm Updated Thursday, 8th June 2017, 3:39 pm

Mhairi Black said SNP MPs would stand up for younger voters. Picture: John Devlin/TSPL

Mhairi Black, who is standing for re-election in Paisley and Renfrewshire South, claimed that only her party would stand up for young people across the country.

The 22-year-old, who was the youngest MP in the UK when elected in 2015, said the SNP had protected and expanded the Education Maintenance Allowance as well as scrapping university tuition fees.

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But the Conservatives accused Ms Black of “staggering hypocrisy” and said the Scottish Government’s education record proved it could not be trusted with the future of younger generations.

“A vote for the SNP is a vote for a strong team of MPs who’ll stand up for young people – calling for a fair and equal minimum wage, protecting rights in the workplace and votes at 16 in all elections,” Black said.

“The SNP are already delivering for Scotland’s young people, delivering free university education and with youth unemployment at the lowest level on record – while the Tory vision is just cut after cut.

“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.”

Scottish Conservative candidate for Aberdeen South Ross Thomson said: “This is staggering hypocrisy from Mhairi Black.

“With education standards rapidly declining and a stubborn attainment gap evident – we are talking about an SNP government that has completely derailed Scotland’s education system.