Information on Loughborough

Loughborough MP Andy Reed Slams County Council For UK Youth Parliament Snub

Posted on 08/04/2008
R. Reed

UK Youth ParliamentAndy Reed, MP for Loughborough, has slammed the Conservative controlled Leicestershire County Council for snubbing the UK Youth Parliament. The local County Council is incredibly the only local education authority in the East Midlands region choosing not to be involved with the UK Youth Parliament denying local young people representation.

The UK Youth Parliament is an apolitical organisation whose aim is to provide the democratically representative platform to support young people in the UK. It is run by young people for young people, giving the young people of the UK, between the age of 11 and 18 a voice, which is heard and listened to by local and national government, providers of services for young people and other agencies who have an interest in the views and needs of young people. Reed is calling on Leicestershire County Council to re-establish a relationship with the organisers and send youth representatives to the UK Youth Parliament again.

The Loughborough MP who has previously praised the Youth Parliament as a great way of getting young people involved and educated about politics said:

“I understand that Leicestershire County Council is the only education authority in the entire region that is not actively participating with the UK Youth Parliament that is a shameful situation, denying young people locally a voice.

“I am amazed that Leicestershire County Council has opted not to engage with the UK Youth Parliament, and I have written to the Council asking them to change this policy immediately to allow local representation from Leicestershire.

“I am a member of the UK Youth Parliament Facebook Group so speak to a lot of young people who I know find this a really useful way of engaging in important issues and bringing about social change. I am sure that young people locally will be shocked that their elected representatives in County Hall are denying them a voice in the political process and I want to know why this is.”

Other news articles on Andy Reed MP

Website of the UK Youth Parliament