The Scottish candidates vying to become 'Baby of the House'

The average age of an MP elected in 2010 was 50. However the minimum age for being a candidate in a Parliamentary election reduced from 21 to 18 following the Electoral Administration Act of 2006 =-which means this year's General Election is the second time 18-year-olds have been able to stand.

With a generation newly engaged in politics following the referendum, there is a handful of candidates aged under-21 vying for seats in Scotland. If successful, they could become the youngest MP since 1832 and the "Baby of the House". The title, which is given to the youngest MP in the House of Commons, was most recently held by Pamela Nash, Labour MP for Airdrie and Shotts, who first took office in 2010 aged 25.

Previous holders of the title have included Labour MP Tony Benn, who was 25 when he was elected in 1950, Conservative John Profumo - known for the sex scandal involving Christine Keeler - who was 29 when he became an MP in 1940 and Charles Kennedy, who was 23 when he was elected as an MP for the Social Democratic Party in 1983.

Here we talk to some of the youngest candidates who are contesting seats in Scottish constituencies:

Taylor Muir, 19, is standing as a Conservative candidate in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency, where Labour MP Tom Greatrex won just over 60% of the vote in 2010. Muir is in his second year of a law degree at Strathclyde University in Glasgow and also works part-time in a call centre.

He said: "The first question everyone always asks me is how did you get into politics? It is difficult to pinpoint, but at the last election I was 15 and became swayed by the idea this was a really important election. I instinctively felt at the time the Conservative party was offering the best future, so I ended up joining the party when I was 15. I certainly don't come from a Tory-voting family, or a hugely politically active one.

I'm standing in Rutherglen, where I live and have been brought up. I don't mind saying it is not the best prospects for me at this election in this seat, as we came fourth last time, with 9.7% of the vote. But there are people who want to see a Conservative government and I want to show them there are people who share that point of view.

Once or twice you do get people saying you are a bit young. If I was running to be Prime Minister or Chancellor then I could understand people questioning what experience you have. But I do a normal job, I go to university, I am just quite normal. So that brings something I think which is quite often missing from politics. I would say there are enough middle-aged men with professional backgrounds. It is important that young people get a voice as well.

However some people do a bit of a double take. A guy in my work just point blank refused to believe I was standing. He asked me if I was going to vote Conservative and when I told him I am unlikely to vote for anyone else as I am the candidate, he didn't believe me. I had to show my constituency on the internet."

Mhairi Black, 20, is the SNP's candidate for Paisley and Renfrewshire South and in her final year at Glasgow University studying politics and public policy. She is up against Labour shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander, who has held the area's seat since 1997. A poll published yesterday put Black 11 points ahead of Alexander, up three points from February.

She said: "My family has always been interested in politics, when I was younger my mum and dad would talk about politics. But we only really became active with the referendum - the minute it was announced my dad and I joined our local SNP branch and started campaigning and it has progressed from there.

The only folk who have really been making a meal out of my age have been my opponents - when we are at the doors no-one is bringing it up. Because of the level of political engagement during the referendum, I think people are past seeing aesthetic things like gender and age. All people are interested in is the quality of your arguments.

In this constituency, Douglas Alexander has a 16,000 majority - it is massive. But we are genuinely seeing on the doorsteps, that there is a sea of change from people who are disillusioned Labour supporters now going to SNP. I genuinely think there is something changing and all we can do is work as hard as we can until the 7th May and hope it materialises into something.

Someone asked if I was nervous about the prospect of going to Westminster - genuinely I am not. I am angry and upset by what ordinary people are having to endure, and I am upset at the lack of representation and the lack of passion that so many of the Westminster parties have for ordinary people. If in the event I do go to Westminster, it is not me who should be nervous - it should be the people who have allowed one in five people to be in poverty and who have made decisions that have made ordinary working families rely on food banks.

Last night I was telling my friends the American broadcaster CNN was coming to film us. They just can't believe their pal is standing."

Daniel Coleman, 19, is the Liberal Democrat candidate for Dundee West, an area which has been held by Labour for more than six decades. Coleman is a 2nd year law student at Dundee University and a part-time football referee.

He said: "I got into politics aged 15 and I was an MSYP (member of Scottish Youth Parliament) for four years. So I've always had an interest in politics and when I started going to actual debates I got the bug, it clicked and I just enjoyed it. I joined the Liberal Democrats in 2013 and this seat was available. I have lived here for nearly 20 years now and so I thought I am well enough known, I will go for it and I got selected. My friends were not surprised - when I left school my shirt was signed with comments like future Prime Minister and all that sort of thing.

The youth issue works both for and against you. It works for you in that people always say it is great to see young people getting involved in politics and wish you all the best. More young people are certainly involved in politics now after the referendum. I am very confident this will be last election in Britain with 16 and 17 year olds not being able to vote, which is terrific to see.

However you do get other people who say you are too young and question what your experience of life is. That is a perfectly valid point - but I point to my political experience.

It is a difficult time for the party. We have not held a seat here since Winston Churchill. I am hoping to hold the previous vote (for the Liberal Democrats) which was 11% in Dundee West, so if I do that I can certainly hold my head high. With the rapid rise of the SNP and the collapse of Labour, I think I have a chance of having a good election - but if I won I think I would be a national sensation."

Barry Black, 20, a second year social science student at Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University, is the Labour candidate for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, which has been held by Liberal Democrat Sir Robert Smith since 1997.

He said: "I am the first one in my family's current generation to become involved in politics. I became involved in youth forums and community groups in my local area around late 2008/2009 and began campaigning on issues like bus fares and transport and education. I joined the Labour party in late 2012 after the Government's Welfare Reform Bill, which I was totally against.

In my home region of the north-east, I have seen young people get a raw deal. I often get asked why I am standing so young, but why not if you can make a change now and stand up for what you believe in now - the opportunity came up to go for selection so I did.

People sometimes question it (my age) to start with, but when you explain the reasons why you are doing it and why you are there - and you want to be a voice for not just young people but everyone - then people can appreciate why you are doing it. If we want a diverse parliament that speaks for all sections of society then young people have got to be part of that equation as well.

We have got votes going in all different directions (in my constituency) and the polls aren't consistent at all. We will just keep going until the day of the election - fighting for every vote and making our case. We will see what happens on the night.

When it comes to a career in politics, I honestly have no idea what I want to do after university. The chance came up for selection for the seat and I felt so strongly about getting rid of this government that I thought I would take the opportunity and see. Maybe I will be defending a seat in 2020."