Meet the St Andrews student who is the UK’s youngest candidate
He’s a Green and he doesn’t think he’s going to win.
Lewis Campbell is right in his comfort zone at Drouthy’s where he has his weekly meetings and is keen to talk through his ideas. We met up with to discuss his candidacy in the Dunfermline and West Fife local elections as a member of the Green party. He is a striking young man who I was shocked to learn is only 18, making him the youngest candidate in the UK.
What are you involved in at St Andrews?
I am external campaigns convenor for St Andrews Students for Independence, Vice President for Young Greens and am part of the campaign against TTIP.
Do you enjoy studying here?
I absolutely love studying here but, sadly, it is not without its problems. One of the biggest problems is the fact that the student demographic is largely middle and upper class. This is particularly an issue when it comes to housing and it will become more difficult for people from difficult backgrounds to get into the university. Tuition fees should be scrapped.
What are your campaign policies?
I want to raise the minimum wage to £10 by 2020 and create a wealth tax that will tax those earning three million or over 1-2% of their income. I want to achieve a universal basic income of £72 for everyone who lives in the UK so that they can live comfortably and we can avoid the stigma of benefits. I’m already working in opposition to TTIP and I think that the railways should be nationalised. One of my main policies is on the fracking moratorium and extending the temporary ban on fracking and, more broadly, all unconventional gas extraction techniques.
Do you consider your views radical?
Yes: the Greens are intended to be an alternative party. We need change, and perhaps radical change, throughout the world.
Tell me about how and why you ran?
On the 15th December I did a speech in front of the Fife Green party and they voted me in. I’m very excited because it will be my first time voting in a general election; I’m the youngest PPC in the UK. There’s so much that needs to change and so much I could do to help; especially for young people.
How good do you think your chances are?
Pretty slim, I’m running in a traditional Labour area and the SNP is strong at the moment. We’re all excited for more proportional representation next year and are aiming for two seats in each area. The aim is to have 15 seats in the Scottish parliament next year.
How are you going to juggle campaigning with being a uni student?
My campaign will mainly take place in Dunfermline and I will be there over spring break, revision week and a lot of weekends. I have a wonderful campaign team and manager who are a huge help. To be honest I think it will be fairly easy; I came to uni a year early and was doing extra credits last semester which I’ve dropped now so I should still be able to keep my work under control. If I just had uni work I would have a lot of free time so I’m confident I can commit to both roles.