When I was first elected as MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine in 2015, I was 23 years, eight months and three days old.
I’m currently the youngest male MP at Westminster and I’m only behind my SNP colleague Mhairi Black as the second most youthful parliamentarian in the House of Commons.
Mhairi became the youngest MP for 300 years when she was elected at the age of 20. This for me speaks volumes, both for where our politics has been in the past and how it is beginning to change.
The international classification for a young MP is under 45 but, given the average age of those elected at the last general election was 50, this is hardly a surprise.
What concerns me, though, is that the perception of the House of Commons as being a room full of grey men in grey suits isn’t helped by these statistics.
Are young people truly represented in today’s politics?
Our current generation of young people is the largest the world has ever known. Half of the global population is under 30, yet young people are starkly under-represented at virtually every level of government and politics.
I’d never argue that all politicians should be under the age of 30. We need real diversity of age, race, gender and background in our political arenas, but young people must have their place.
It was a privilege to recently lead a debate in parliament on the “UN’s Not Too Young to Run” campaign, which aims to encourage young people to run for political office.
One of the most fantastic parts of my job is being invited to local schools in Aberdeenshire to talk to our young people about my job. Young people are more politically engaged than ever. In the eight years since I left secondary school, the popularity of modern studies has soared.
Young people have a voice and they want to be heard.
This was highlighted during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum when the right to vote was extended to 16 and 17-year-olds.
An estimated 66% of 16 and 17-year-olds registered to vote in the referendum and the turnout amongst that age range was 75%. With regular access to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and our youth are now exposed to a wider range of political views.
They ask intelligent and well-reasoned questions at school visits and are, generally, more comfortable in having political disagreements, and less prone to a political over-reaction than some of their elders.
At a time where political debates can produce more heat than light, young people, are leading the way on open and constructive debating.
There are many political forums available for young people to join – from the Scottish and UK Youth Parliaments to Youth Councils.
Young people are our future and it’s heartening to watch youth representatives debate at Westminster or meet local Aberdeenshire youth councillors and MSYPs. I wish all those currently taking part in the Scottish Youth Parliament elections all the best.
However, it’s important to emphasise that getting involved in politics and democracy is not only about party politics. There are other ways that young people can become politically active, such as within community councils, community groups, charities or single issue groups. If you are care deeply enough about something, why not get involved and make a difference?
In the wake of the vote to leave the EU and the election of Donald Trump, we saw people taking to the streets in protest. It was fantastic to see their passion, but politics is not just about protesting or having a Facebook or Twitter rant. Nor is it just about writing a letter to a newspaper.
If you have passion or strong feelings about an issue, harness it and make use of it. If you think the level of debate in politics is poor, get involved. If you believe politicians aren’t representing your views, get involved. And if you feel you can do a better job, get involved by running for office.
The Scottish local authority elections are coming up on May 4. If you are not going to run for council please make sure you vote.
You could be the one who makes a difference.
Scottish Government is proving to be ahead of the game
I am delighted the Scottish Government has acted decisively to deliver a solution on business rates.
The 12.5% cap on rates rises which applies to the hospitality trade across Scotland and, the additional cap on office rates in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire, is a welcome relief. This is on top of a £3million relief fund recently passed by Aberdeenshire Council.
There were genuine concerns amongst the business community – with the hospitality industry in the north-east particularly badly affected – over rates rises.
I visited some business owners in my constituency to offer my support. I want to encourage sustainability and growth amongst business, particularly as we try to grow the tourism industry here in the north-east.
An effective government is one that listens to the concerns of the people it represents and works out solutions to address those concerns.
Once again, the Scottish Government is proving to be ahead of the game.
On the morning after Scottish Finance Secretary Derek Mackay’s key announcement on the business rates cap one leading national newspaper in England carried a story that claimed that some shops down south are facing hikes of up to 3,000% on their business rates.
It’s ironic that while Conservatives at Holyrood have tried their level best to turn this into an SNP-specific issue, their own bosses down south have almost exactly the same challenge under their watch at Westminster.
Will the Conservative Chancellor Philip Hammond support English businesses in his Westminster Budget?
As the slogan says, Royal Deeside is the heart of Can Do Country. There are many promotional YouTube clips that give you a flavour of our fantastic surroundings in Aberdeenshire and if you haven’t yet watched them, please do. You won’t be disappointed.
Successful skiing
There are many Can Do activities across wider Aberdeenshire, and last week I decided to try one of them out – skiing – as I visited the two Scottish ski centres I’m fortunate enough to represent, Glenshee and the Lecht.
Our ski centres face many challenges – especially when it doesn’t snow – but the facilities are first-class and the level of help and instruction they provide is second to none.
I needed some of that instruction from my Glenshee guides Kate and Stewart when I donned my skis for the first time in several years to attempt to slalom down Sunnyside at Glenshee. It was an amazing feeling to be back on the slopes and, somehow, I successfully made it to the bottom without falling down.