ONE of the great things about Parliament not being in session is that I can spend more time visiting schools and hearing what young people have to say about the world they will inherit.
I recently visited West Blatchington Junior School and Mile Oak Junior School to meet their student council. They talked to me about the things on their mind and then grilled me with a series of questions.
Then I spoke to an assembly there and had the total pleasure of handing out prizes to students who had achieved literacy and numeracy goals. I couldn’t believe how advanced many of these young students were.
To top it off I also had a visit from Edwyn Verall who is our local member of the Youth Parliament. Edwyn is 13 and phenomenally articulate and insightful. From Brexit to how we give more power to young people, the conversation was so energising for me.
I really can’t tell you how much I enjoy listening, learning, and exchanging views with young people. I am so aware that many are mere bystanders as we take decisions that their generation will have to live with for their whole lives. The way we collect tax, spend public money, do deals and break relationships with other countries and unions. All of these things affect opportunities and life-chances for them, yet they have no power to influence it. I am firmly of the view that the voting age should be reduced to 16 so we can enfranchise the very people our country now relies upon to solve some of the greatest challenges of any peacetime generation.
Peter Kyle is the Labour candidate for Hove
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