Rachel Wibberley, MP for Derbyshire in the UK Youth Parliament, explains why she feels politics should matter for young people.
I RECENTLY attended an annual meeting of the British Youth Council to debate issues that we feel are most important to young people.
These 96 issues were then short-listed via an online voting process for 11-18-year-olds in order to reveal the top 10 most important issues for young people.
The majority of youngsters who read this won't have the faintest idea what the UKYP is, and this is because our generation is currently politically disengaged and unaware and therefore limited as to what influential changes they can make by interacting with their UKYP members and local MPs.
We have the power to change that.
Nine out of 10 18-year-olds said they didn't vote because they felt as if they didn't have sufficient information to be able to and I'm proud to say that the UKYP is now campaigning for a "curriculum for life" which prepares students for challenges they may face in their life ahead and includes political education.
Along with thousands of others, I feel it is imperative that young people get involved in the democratic process because it gives them a chance to impact upon decisions that are made in their area that will have a direct effect on their lives.
For those young people who sit back and moan about their government and local policies etc, YOU CAN do something about it and make a positive change! Simply contact their local MYP (Member of Youth Parliament) – in Derbyshire's case you could contact me – and make me aware of the matter.
The issues raised to me will be taken to national meetings and, if many 11-18 year olds are passionate about a certain topic, then it could even be taken to our annual House of Commons debate in November.
I want to stress to 11-18s, that YOU have a right to a say in decisions that are made in your area and YOU have a right to disagree or help campaign for things that you would like to happen and, just because you're under 18 this doesn't mean that your input isn't important or valid because after all, we are the future generation and decisions made in parliament today, will essentially affect us tomorrow.
Since being elected as MYP for Derbyshire and immersing myself in campaigns and the democratic process, I've gained so much knowledge on what young people truly want and how to put together an effective argument in order to fight for what we want.
Understanding politics has given me the confidence to speak out about things that matter to me and those around me the most and allowed me to comment upon them in an effective way, whilst being taken seriously by members of parliament.
I feel young people who get involved in the democratic process are genuinely taken seriously and treated with much more respect from their government and taken into consideration when legislation is passed. We are also currently campaigning for young people to have more legislative powers so that we are ALWAYS considered before decisions are made and treated equally and with respect regardless of their age. At our annual sitting at Lancaster University in July I shared the views of Derbyshire's residents in front of MYPs from the rest of the UK in a large debate and even had the confidence to ask Commons speaker John Bercow for a "selfie", as engaging in politics has given me and many others a huge boost in confidence, especially when conversing with authoritative figures.
On August 12, our national campaign called "Make Your Mark" was launched. This is where the top 10 issues shortlisted by MYPs are put into a list and from this list we need every person in the UK aged 11-18 to pick just one issue that they feel is most important or relevant to them. From the voting process, the top five issues will be taken forward to our House of Commons debate in November this year and hopefully passed officially, making a significant change in legislation. The aim is to get as many votes as possible in the Make Your Mark campaign so that youngsters are represented in Parliament in the best way possible and everyone has the chance to have their own input in what will happen in their community. Last year in this campaign, we received 497,000 votes from 11-18-year-olds in the UK, so this year we are aiming for a million.
I encourage you all to vote because we need to work together in order to make a real difference, and the more people there are voting, the more likely our wishes are going to be granted by MPs.
I will be going into schools in Derbyshire to promote the vote as I have pledged to get 10,000 votes myself for Derbyshire and I cannot do that without your help.
I would say a youngster's vote in the Make Your mark Campaign is as important to the UKYP as an adult's vote in a general election. To bring about change you need to act upon it, to vote for what you stand for, to encourage your children to become involved in democracy by voting in our national campaign.
I will be making my way around Derbyshire with my ballot papers, but the easiest way to vote is online at https://www.mi-voice.com/mym/
If you would like to discuss any Youth Council matters, do not hesitate to contact me at rachwibb@hotmail.co.uk
