I wanted Alex Cole-Hamilton to be elected to the Scottish Parliament for a decade for many reasons, but one took precedence over all the rest – that he would be a fantastic voice for children and young people.
Yesterday he proved why, arguing in committee for his amendment for the Scottish Government to raise the age of criminal responsibility from a “medieval” 8 to a much more civilised 14. The SNP Government would only go as far as 12. He lost, 5-2, but listen to his passionate arguments.
After the vote, he said:
The Scottish Government has found itself firmly on the wrong side of history and human rights. I can only assume it is terrified of losing favour with some aspect of its already fragile base.
The Minister is still pretending this bill is worth celebrating but the sombre mood of the Committee says otherwise. The SNP should never speak of this bill with pride.
Refusing the meet international recommendations sets back our ability to act as a children’s rights leader on the world stage. Scotland cannot lean on some sense of self-perceived exceptionalism. It has twice been pointed out that every country has unique and progressive ways of dealing with young people. While our children’s hearing system is something we should be proud of it doesn’t mean we get to bypass international minimums.
We cannot lead the world from the back of the pack.
Scotland’s children need Alex to keep fighting for them.
PS Don’t ever tell him I wrote this. I will never live it down.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
Follow @LibDemVoice on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
Three essential Twitter lists for Liberal Democrats
A trolleybus network for Leicester?
Investment in transport in northern England far behind London
Corbyn must prove promise to stop no-deal is not just empty words
My tweets
Opinion: How to stop Brexit? Understand the looming disaster for business
Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester – Tired and a bit Empty
Logie & St John's (Cross) Messy Church - all welcome!
John King
Richard Underhill
John Marriott
TCO
David Garlick
Martin
One Comment
Have to say I generally love the Lib Dem MSPs more than I do my own home-grown (London) Liberal politicians.