I'D like the opportunity to respond to Mr Bullock's hilarious claim that my motives for moving a motion for votes for 16 and 17 year olds at Bolton Council are electorally motivated.

Firstly, votes at 16 will not be introduced for next year’s elections so to suggest that this was done to increase electoral support is simply wrong. Furthermore, Mr Bullock has appeared to completely miss the news that there was cross-party support for this motion, with six Conservative Councillors and the three Liberal Democrat Councillors supporting the motion.

To be perfectly clear, I support the Votes at 16 campaign because I have spoken to young people across Bolton, and they have made their case and won the argument.

This began at the Youth Council's annual Speed Rating Event where young people from across Bolton grill Councillors about their work and what they are doing for young people. It was at this event I was repeatedly asked about Votes at 16 and all of the Councillors there present listened to why votes at 16 is the right thing to do.

I think it is very telling that all but one of the Councillors who attended the Speed Rating Event and attended the Council meeting supported the motion and a number of them referenced there attendance at this event as the reason they were supporting votes at 16. Bolton's young people spoke; eloquently and with passion and they convinced all of these Councillors that Votes at 16 is the right thing.

Mr Bullock asks where this will end? I sincerely hope with the enfranchisement of 16 and 17 year olds. No one is arguing for one-year-olds to be able to vote Mr Bullock. What I said at the Council meeting and since is that 16 and 17 year olds are affected by decisions made by Governments and Councils, AND they already have a role as citizens with many rights and responsibilities granted to 18 year olds and above. That is why they should be allowed to vote.

Cllr Christopher Peacock