Political Youth

Scotland has faced a national dilemma since the referendum on its independence in 2014 and even more so since the vote in favour of Brexit.  First, the Scots decided against independence from the United Kingdom and then against Brexit—both decisions caused deep rifts in the national identity.

nomad portrays a new political generation and its hopes through images from “Political Youth”, the long-term project of Scottish photographer Robert Ormerod.

Euan Davidson, 17,
is a Liberal Democrat and member
of the Youth Parliament

“I am seventeen years old, in my last year at high school and hoping to go to uni next year. I am based in Midlothian, mainly campaigning here and in the borders, but occasionally in Edinburgh as well. I joined the Lib Dems when I was fourteen; I have now been involved in three main election campaigns as well as numerous by-elections. The biggest of these was during the Scottish Parliament elections last year. I was heavily involved in Jeremy Purvis’s re-election campaign, which was our most successful campaign in retaining our votes across the country. I hope to have a career in politics after I leave uni.”

Iona Baker, 21,

is a history student at Glasgow
University and a member
of the Labour Party

Joseph Lee, 19 year-old
Labour party member

“The mood of the campaign is generally quite bad-natured. People up here are always saying that political debate takes its cue from the adversarial set-up at Westminster, but it’s just as intense and tribal at Holyrood. I think the campaign is beginning to put a lot of people off.”

Ross Greer, 17,
member of the Green Party

“I’ve been a member of the Scottish Green party for two years, joining not long after my 15th birthday. I had always been an environmentalist since a young age but as my interest in politics grew I began to realise that only the Scottish Green Party offered the practical solutions that I wanted, combining social justice and equality with sustainability and practical solutions to tackling climate change.”