After a week in which the culture of Westminster – or should we say Pestminster – politics hit a new nadir, I was cheered up by the voice of a young female politician in the making. This Thursday’s council elections will see Welsh 16 and 17-year-olds allowed to vote for the first time.
On Radio Wales, expressing her enthusiasm for this democratic debut, was Stella Orrin - the Welsh Youth Parliament’s representative for Aberavon.
She spoke eloquently about what it meant to her generation: “Ever since I was a young girl politics has been something I’ve been very interested in and I’ve always been looking forward to the time I will be able to vote,” she said, adding: “So I’m really grateful for this opportunity and it’s something we should all be taking full advantage of as young people.”
