The National Youth Parliament debate will be held at the House of Commons on 13th November – and young people must vote to set the agenda by this Friday, 9th October.
The Young Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Deng Yan San, is urging young people to “make their mark” and make sure issues that matter to them are brought up on the day. There’s a shortlist of ten issues online, and your vote will help decide which five of them the 600 members of the UK Youth Parliament will discuss. Their Youth Debate will be chaired by the Speaker of the House of Commons Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP and broadcast live on BBC Parliament.
Last year’s consultation saw over 875,000 young people respond – nearly double the previous year, and organisers hope that this year will see more than one million young people take part.
Deng Yan San Young is not only Mayor of Tower Hamlets – she is a Member of the Youth Parliament too. She is a passionate advocate for young people getting involved, saying: “I was honoured to be elected Young Mayor in an election which saw a massive turnout of almost 72%. It’s clear that young people are engaged in the issues which affect their lives, and they want to play an active role in shaping the policies that will help them to achieve in the future.
“I’m urging all young people to harness their passions and get involved in the Make Your Mark discussions. Look at the issues and to choose those which you feel most passionately about. I’m confident that we can get 5,000 young people to get involved and play our part in encouraging one million voices to be heard.”
•To vote for your top topic visit www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk/makeyourmark/ and click on the “Vote Now” icon at the top of the page. (Remember to include your postcode so that the organisers can see how many votes came from Tower Hamlets).
•You can also follow all the action on Twitter via #MakeYourMark and tag @UKYP.
•The Young Mayor can be contacted via young.mayor@towerhamlets.gov.uk or on Twitter and Instagram @dengyanym
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Issue shortlist
1 Votes at 16 Give 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote in all public elections and referendums including the upcoming EU referendum.
2 A curriculum to prepare us for life Schools should cover topics including finance, sex, relationships and politics in the curriculum
3 The end of austerity and child poverty Young people want to see investment in their lives and the lives of others in order to end poverty
4 Transport Make public transport cheaper, better and accessible for all
5 Climate Change Government should keep its promise to work globally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to limit the increase in global temperatures to 2 degrees, and raise awareness locally
6 Mental health Services should be improved with young people’s help and mental health education should be compulsory and challenge stereotypes
7 Fund our youth services, don’t cut them Youth services provide us with vital support, development opportunities and positive activities
8 Living wage Everyone should be able to live comfortably. Everyone aged 16 or over should be paid at least the Living Wage of £7.85 per hour (£9.15 in London)
9 Tackling racism and religious discrimination, particularly against people who are Muslim or Jewish All young people should work together to combat racism and other forms of discrimination, and ensure we know the dangers of such hatred
10 Extended Special Educational Needs support There should be more, not less, help for young people with special educational needs, including those with learning disabilities and dyslexia.
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