"Youth" Allowed Into Parliament Shock....

So the vote has gone through and over the summer, the UK's Youth Parliament will be allowed to sit in the House of Commons for a one-off meeting.

Makes sense, really, doesn't it? I mean, this is a group of young people aged 11-18 years old who have all been elected in their local constituency because of their interest in politics and their desire to change the world for the better. Why not let them in on a session in the House of Commons so that they can see how it really does work and ignite their interest even further?

Well, that would be my thinking anyway. But whilst it was also the thinking of 205 MP's, 17 other MP's opposed it. Some were worried about the young people misbehaving, others worried that it was just a gimmick and that it was a way of sucking up for the youth vote and some said that it was almost fascist to have a Youth Parliament anyway when there was no Pensioners Parliament or Employers Parliament and that the House of Commons was representative of the whole of the UK as it is.

Of those opposing, 12 were Tories, 2 Liberal Democrats, 2 Labour and 1 from the DUP.

I understand that this is a break with tradition and therefore those opposing votes are most likely from staunch traditionalists. However, it is also very telling that the Shadow Children's Minister, Tim Loughton, is quoted as saying to journalists that MP's have "nothing to be scared of" in sanctioning the move because:

"Are we seriously thinking that we will have UKYP members leaving gum under the seats, swinging from the chandeliers, having to install juke boxes and that we are going to have a major chav riot in the place?" he said. "No of course this isn't going to happen."

("Juke boxes"??? Er, hello.)

Well it might, but it might also happen on any day of the week judging by the way most of the Ministers behave.

However, I have no doubt that the Youth Parliament will be on their best behaviour when on their commons visit. And hopefully, it will be the first of many. The young people in this country are our future but are hugely misunderstood and treated as objects of fear by many. Until this changes and young people are included more in politics and given the respect that they deserve, nothing will ever change.

SUZANNAH WALLACE
www.alteregocoaching.co.uk
Inspiring and Motivating Young People