Lib Dems are winners with youth

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 20th May 2006

Young voters favour the Lib Dems

The latest news from the Local Government Association is that the Lib Dems have come first nationally in schools' mock election results across the UK. The Hansard Society's "Y-Vote" mock elections were conducted in schools up and down the UK and were designed to coincide with May's local elections to encourage young people to vote and take an interest in the political decisions that affect them.

The national results of the "Y-Vote" mock elections were as follows:

Lib Dems 30 % Green Party 25% Labour 25% Conservatives 15 % UKIP 5%

Source Hansard Society / LGA News

The news was welcomed by Green Lib Dem Chair Adam Carew, who is also Lib Dem Group Leader in the National Younger Councillors Forum:

"We support this excellent initiative to get young people involved in politics - having knocked Labour into 3rd place nationally in the local elections we are of course delighted to top the poll nationally in these mock elections.

"It proves Lib Dem policies are appealing to the next generation of voters. It is also clear that green issues are very high on young peoples' agenda and that is very encouraging. The average age of councillors is over 60, but there is no reason why politics has to be the preserve of the elderly. We need younger people to get involved in politics and come forward as councillors and MPs of the future."