Press Release
Contact: Richard Burt 07970 713 032
Embargo: Immediate 20th January
SIXTH FORMERS HAVE THEIR SAY
Sixth form students from schools and colleges across Worcestershire who took
part in a survey of young people's views on politics as part of Local Democracy
Week are having their say.
The students completed surveys devised by West Worcestershire's Liberal Democrat
Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt to find out young people's views and the
results have thrown up some surprising results.
Only just over half sixth formers questioned thought that sixteen-year-olds
should get the vote. Fifty-four per cent said yes and 45% disagreed, but two
thirds agreed that the voting system should be changed so that the amount of MPs
a party receives more accurately reflects how many votes they get.
On jobs and housing, Nearly half the young people questioned wanted to own their
own home by the time they were 25, but 74% thought that local house prices were
too high and 77% wanted more affordable housing built in the county. Sixty per
cent thought they would earn between £12,000 and £23,000 a year after training,
whereas the average wage in West Worcestershire is currently just under £20,000,
but 63% thought that they would have to move away from Worcestershire to pursue
their careers.
On nuclear policy, two thirds said that Britain should not replace Trident with
new nuclear missiles, but opinion was split on whether or not a new generation
of nuclear power stations should be developed, with many undecided.
On the environment, just over half thought the government was taking global
climate change seriously enough, but a massive 83% approved of the Liberal
Democrat 'Green Switch' tax policy - taxing those who pollute most to help
reduce CO2 emissions, and using the money raised to reduce income tax.
Seventy per cent believed in the principle of fair trade against 30% who
supported free trade, and 74% said that trade should be governed by rules agreed
internationally. Students were similarly in favour of more restrictions of arms
sales to foreign governments, and 84% wanted government to scrap arms export
guarantees to secure arms deals.
On Iraq, 76% thought the invasion of Iraq was wrong, and 88% said that Tony
Blair should be more critical of American foreign policy under President George
Bush.
"These responses show that you cannot simply categorise young people's views in
any way. They are optimistic in outlook, but realistic in interpreting their own
life opportunities and experiences. They have their own moral compass which many
world weary and cynical adults would do well to listen to," said Richard Burt
Ends.
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