BORDERS MP Michael Moore has welcomed a decision in the House of Commons for the voting age in Scotland to be lowered to 16.

The mechanism that has been approved will enable the Scottish Parliament to include 16- and 17-year-olds in future elections..

The decision to devolve responsibility for setting the voting age to the Scottish Parliament was a key commitment set out in the Smith Commission.

Mr Moore said: “Alongside my Liberal Democrat colleagues in Scotland and the rest of the UK, I have long campaigned for votes at 16. I am therefore delighted that last night the House of Commons agreed to devolve the power to lower the voting age to the Scottish Parliament.

“At 16, young people can get married, join the armed forces and pay tax so it is absolutely right that they can vote for Governments that take decisions which directly affect them. The independence referendum showed the positive and active role that 16 and 17 years olds can take in the political process and the sheer number of them who voted proved that they want to make their voices heard.

“This is the first stage in delivering the Smith Commission’s cross-party agreement on devolution which I was a part of and I am delighted to see the speed at which this particular power is being devolved.”