At the next general election, 16 and 17-year-olds could be able to vote for the first time. Winning Scotland chief executive Zahra Hedges argues this should only be the starting point. It comes after a poll commissioned by the University of Glasgow’s John Smith Centre showed young voters feel ill-prepared about politics.

Pupils who are just starting secondary school could be voting for the first time at the next general election.

It is something Scotland pioneered nearly a decade ago, and while some feel anxious about the change, for me, it’s overdue.

I’ve spent years working to improve the wellbeing of young people in Scotland – in the private sector, in government and now in charity and social enterprise.

At Winning Scotland, where I am chief executive, our mission is to help children and young people develop confidence and resilience. One thing I have learned is that young people can and do make good decisions, but we are putting them in situations that make that increasingly hard to do.

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The 21st century has seen some of the fastest changes in history. We are simultaneously more connected and yet more isolated that we ever were. We are still living with the impact of a global pandemic that saw the young people who will make their way to the ballot box for the first time in 2028 spend their first years of primary........

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