2:05pm Saturday 13th March 2010
By Edmund Tobin
THE district's youth have called for the voting age to be reduced after a formal debate.
Members of the Epping Forest District Youth Council voted by a majority of 54 per cent to support a motion calling for the voting age to be lowered from 18 to 16.
The vote marked the culmination of a day of activities designed to encourage an interest in democracy among the young.
Youth Council members visiting the Civic Offices, in Epping High Street, were greeted by district council chairman Cllr Penny Smith before sitting down for a question and answer session with local MPs Eleanor Laing and Bill Rammell.
Youth councillors Haris Duherich, Yasmin Levy-Miller, Connor Latimer and Trini Philip were then interviewed by BBC reporter Ben Bland ahead of their voting debate which was broadcast live over the internet.
Youth councillor Lattimer, who proposed and carried the motion to lower the voting age said: “I was pleased we won the debate although in the back of my mind I thought we might get a bigger majority, maybe 60 or 70 per cent.”
The webcast of the vote can be viewed at eppingforestdc.gov.uk.
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