IT’S been a perennial headache for politicians and with the General Election looming, the lack of interest young people show in politics could prove decisive. So we welcome an initiative to get the next generation of York voters to give affairs of state more attention.

All Saints RC School has hosted a “mock election” inviting local candidates to speak to students, including those who will vote for the first time in May.

But it has to be a two way process. One of them is Eilis Lee who says, because a lot of young people don’t vote, politicians won’t focus on them “because they don’t see it as a way to get into government”.

It seems there are lessons to be learned on both sides.