First crop of under-21s standing in local elections

Article in Bristol's Evening Post about an 18year old Tory candidate (thanks to Nick Webb for the heads-up):

"He is barely old enough to vote - but 18-year-old Chris Woods is hoping he will become the area's youngest councillor.The teenager from Yate has been selected as a Conservative candidate for the Patchway seat in the South Gloucestershire Council election. Recent figures show the average age of a local councillor in the UK is 57. Chris, a healthcare assistant at Frenchay Hospital, is hoping to inject some youth on to the council. He is taking advantage in a recent change in the law, which lowered the minimum age of candidates from 21 to 18. With statistics showing that more young people vote in reality show phone-ins than elections, Chris is hoping he can inspire more youngsters to get into politics."

Update: There's a lot of press coverage of other young candidates such as Katie-Jo in Bristol (Burton Mail and The Post and Times):

"Katie-jo Thomas, aged 19, of Ashbourne Road will stand in the local elections on May 3.The former Thomas Alleyne's student explained why she decided to enter a world that is traditionally only inhabited by the older generation. "It wasn't politics that got me interested in standing for the council, it was a desire to do something for the town and the people who live here," she said."

...and Keely Rogers, the recently selected parliamentary candidate for Northfield (Birmingham Mail):

Update: The Birmingham Uni CF blog highlights another interesting young candidate - a lad who was 18 three days before nominations closed... called David Cameron!

"City parliamentary candidate Keely Rogers is the youngest woman selected by the Conservative Party to stand in the next General Election. The 25-year-old, who grew up in Bartley Green, will contest the Labour-held seat of Northfield when voters next decide who should run the country." The former Hillcrest schoolgirl admits she doesn't fit the traditional profile of a Tory candidate. She said: "If you consider the stereotypical view I couldn't be further away."