Vix shares this latest news on behalf of the Isle of Wight Green party. Ed
The IW Green Party today reaffirms its commitment to Votes at 16, as the current electoral legislation stops them from standing their strongest candidate in next month’s Whippingham and Osborne by-election for the IW Council.
Sixteen year old Cameron Palin, Campaigns Officer for the local party and a student at Cowes Enterprise College, is blocked from standing for election merely because of his age.
Politically active
Cameron has been heavily involved in challenging the Council on their mismanagement of the East Cowes Floating Bridge, the campaign to save the Ice Rink in Ryde, and has been a committee member for IW Pride for the last two years.
Cameron says:
“It would have an absolute honour to stand for the Green Party in the Whippingham and Osborne ward, however, our electoral system has let us down once again! We must lower the voting age to 16 and allow young people like myself to stand for office, as there is a sheer lack of diversity of age, sex, race, religion and culture in elected office at all levels – whether on a parish council or in Parliament. Young people’s voices are typically ignored and suppressed under this electoral system.
“I have persistently been engaged and active in the community from opposing the Crossways development, demanding better bus connectivity for Hawthorn Meadows, and questioning the new Queensgate build due to it not tackling the already stretched capacity.
“I would have loved the opportunity to stand for election, giving the electorate the chance to vote for someone who will stand up for them and is willing to put all their focus, energy and passion into representing the ward.”
Due to the restriction of being unable to stand their strongest candidate, the IW Green Party will not be putting forward another candidate in June.
