Letter from Parliament: Jim McMahon MP

Jim McMahon MP presented with the National Youth Voice Star Awards

Last Thursday I was presented with the National Youth Voice Star Awards for my lead role in the campaign to lower the voting age. It is a real honour to receive this award, and an even greater honour to have been nominated by our hard working Oldham Youth Council.

I believe in giving a stronger voice to young people up and down the country, and the best voice is the vote. It is why I continue to campaign to lower the voting age.

I was shortlisted alongside Mayor for Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, and Elizabeth Harding, CEO of Youth Focus North West.

I have long been a champion of votes at 16, and recently worked alongside the Oldham Youth Council to campaign on this issue in Parliament.

On 3 November I debated the issue in Parliament through my Private Members Bill, which was ultimately talked out of the Chamber by Conservative backbench MPs.

Despite the set-back in Parliament at the hands of a small number of Conservative MPs, the campaign to lower the voting age goes on.

I would like to thank the BYC and the Oldham Youth Council for the award, and for all their work on votes at 16 campaign.