Press Release

YOUNG FIGHT FOR RIGHT TO BE HEARD AFTER MAY 1st ELECTIONS

28th April 2008

25 million adults across England and Wales have the chance to have their say in the local and Mayoral elections on 1st May. In a bid to ensure young people’s voices are heard, 300 Members of the Youth Parliament will take over the House of Lords chamber the following day (2nd May) to debate issues of importance to young people.

It will be the first time the UK Youth Parliament has sat in Parliament itself.

The issues to be debated in the House of Lords include;

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
Jacob Rix, Member of the UK Youth Parliament, 15 years-old commented,

"Although we are not old enough to vote in the elections on 1st May, 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 storm the House of Lords on 2nd May. After all young people are not just the future but we are also today.

“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 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.”

Journalists can register interest in attending the debates or interviewing Members of Youth Parliament by contacting Fiona McKinstrie in advance on 020 7843 6348/ 07507 603378 (fiona.mckinstrie@ukyouthparliament.org.uk).