The Scottish independence referendum of 2014 saw 16-year olds voting for the first time in a UK national election in the UK. While the voter turnout was very good for the new first time voters, the crucial question is whether the positive experience resulted in a lasting effect on political attitudes and participation. This paper will present analyses based on a new and unique survey of 16-19 year olds conducted in February 2015. It will include samples of this age group from Scotland and the rest of the UK to investigate, effectively in the format of a natural experiment, whether the "treatment" effect for young people in Scotland could be sustained and resulted in significant differences in political attitudes compared to their English, Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts focussing in particular on the effects political education and discussions in school had and what we can learn for curriculum development.
