10.03.09
Andy Hamflett, UK Youth Parliament Chief Executive, has once again called for the House of Commons chamber to be made available for young people.
Andy gave evidence at the Speaker’s Conference in Parliament today, highlighting how politicians could be doing more to reach out to more young people.
Speaking about the Speaker’s conference, Andy said,
“It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the great that work that Local Authorities and young people undertake as part of the UKYP partnership, and highlight the brilliant creative youth work processes that could be adopted in other areas of public engagement.
“Many ideas were discussed, but for me the unifying theme was that young people from diverse communities often feel disconnected from Parliament because they cannot see role models representing them in the House. They need to see people like themselves in representative positions to believe that it can be done.
“I therefore made the point that if Parliament really wants to open its doors to young people, a very simple first step would be to allow Members of Youth Parliament to sit in the House of Commons chamber. It would be the perfect opportunity for young people across the country to see the fantastic diversity of Members of Youth Parliament, and to inspire them to take their own steps to get involved in politics and decision making.
“Motions supporting the proposal have now been put forward – and opposed – three times in Parliament in the last two weeks, which would seem to run counter to the spirit of the Speaker’s Conference. We’ll keep plugging away to make it happen, as will so many MPs and Ministers who support the idea.”
Click here for more information about the Speaker’s Conference |
