MP urges ban on youthful MPs

There are campaigns in the UK attempting to lower the voting age, reform the voting system and others like OBV that seek to encourage people from Black communities to greater engage in the democratic process.

However, today one Government Minister speaking to the Royal College of Nursing conference in Liverpool said that she believed that people should be excluded from standing for parliamentary elections until they're 45.

Anne Milton, 55 said that she'd 'gained enormously from experience' outside of politics and she had therefore brought a greater deal to the table once elected as MP.

However, what Mrs. Milton may have failed to grasp is that under her proposal the Prime Minister David Cameron (44) would still not be eligible to stand as an MP, and nor would the Chancellor George Osborne (39) or Deputy PM Nick Clegg (44).

The debate surrounding career politicians and whether people should earn their spurs has long been a thorny issue in political commentary.

Mrs. Milton is not shy of courting controversy having recently suggested that people should be told ‘they’re fat’ to encourage greater self responsibility; and for proposing the removal of milk from under 5s.

Mrs. Milton was elected in 2005 and was fortunately 49 when she was selected as the candidate for thereby qualifying under her self imposed age limit rule. She is MP for Guildford, and the Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Public Health.

Should there be an age limit for being elected an MP? After all, there are age restrictions for driving a car, getting married, drinking alcohol and being appointed a magistrate? What do you think?

Ashok Viswanathan

Picture: Anne Milton MP