Shropshire MYPs to attend House of Lords debate

Shropshire Members of Youth Parliament Lyndsey Haddon and Edward Barker will be attending a National Youth Parliament Event on 2 May 2008 at the House of Lords.

This is an historic occasion for young people to be able to sit in the House of Lords with over 300 young people to debate issues such as national public transport concession cards for young people under the age of 18, university tuition fees, single age at which young people are deemed to become an adult, fair and accurate representation of young people in the media, lowering the voting age to 16, recycling and the environment. The outcome of this debate will provide a focus for National Youth Parliament to identify their three national campaigns.

In Shropshire young people already have significant opportunities to voice their views. There are young people’s representatives at Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel, Leadership Board and the Children’s Trust meetings.

Some 4,500 young people took part in this year’s Shropshire Youth Parliament Elections held in February 2008 where Lyndsey Haddon from Bridgnorth Endowed School and Edward Barker from the Priory School were voted in for one year to represent the young people of Shropshire. Shropshire’s manifesto includes bullying, gun and knife crime and better sex education. Shropshire MYPs have already met with the police and key Shropshire County Council staff to look at how to action the manifesto at a local level.

Lyndsey Haddon (16), Member of the UK Youth Parliament for Shropshire, said: "Although we are not old enough to vote in a national election, this does not mean we have to sit in silence. Young people not only deserve to, but have the right to have their voices heard. This is exactly what Members of Youth Parliament will be doing when they attend the House of Lords on 2 May. After all young people are not just the future but we are also today.

Edward Barker (15), Member of UK Youth Parliament for Shropshire, said: “Young people do care about politics, and we do care about the world around us but too often it feels as if adults don’t want to listen. Hopefully by allowing young people to take centre stage and sit in the House of Lords this will now change.”

The Lord's Speaker Baroness Hayman commented: “I am very pleased to welcome Members of the UK Youth Parliament who will be coming from all over the country to debate important issues in the House of Lords Chamber this week. It is vital that we engage with young people and understand their views and experiences in order to pass laws which are fit for the future.”

Andy Hamflett, Chief Executive of UK Youth Parliament said: “Allowing Members of the UK Youth Parliament into the House of Lords screams out that Parliament belongs to the public, that young people are valued as citizens, and that what they have to say deserves to be listened to. I know that each and every one of them will rise to the challenge by feeding in the views of young people from all over the UK, by passionately debating the issues that matter most to them, and by coming up with concrete action plans that will really make a difference.”

29 April 2008