THE SNP conference has voted to campaign on a ban on recruiting 16 and 17 year-olds to the military.

The SNP Youth Branch argued that joining up under 18 increases the risk of death in combat, post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol abuse.

It was proposed that the minimum age for all roles that require combat training should be raised to 18.

Glasgow councillor, Rhiannan Spear, spoke in favour of the age rise.

She said: “The UK is currently the only EU and NATO country that recruits at 16” adding that 15 year olds could be recruited in advance.

Ms Spear said that the MoD was deliberately targeting young people in low income households.

She added the army was using social media to target young people during school exam results time

She added: “They are preying on 15, 16 and 17 year-olds at their most vulnerable time.”

The bid was opposed by the SNP’s defence spokesman at Westminster Stewart McDonald, Glasgow South MP.

He said he had considered joining up at 17 after leaving school in Glasgow with one higher.

He said: “For me as a 17 year-old that was my decision it wasn’t anyone else’s.”

He said young people can marry pay tax and vote aged 16.

Mr McDonald added he was not defending the practices of the MoD which he described as the “belly of the beast of Westminster”.

He said the motion was narrow and ignored the issues facing people in the military and veterans today, like pay, equipment and housing.

Ms Monaghan, a former teacher, said raising the age would deny opportunities to some young people they would not otherwise have.

She told of a former pupil who joined up and who told her later if he hadn’t joined the army he was heading for Barlinnie.