Unemployment and voting age top Youth Parliament agenda

Around 478,000 young people identified the topics during UKYP’s annual Make Your Mark ballot, an increase on the 253,000 young people who voted in last year’s ballot.

The issues will be discussed by the 600 elected youth parliamentarians at the House of Commons during debates on Friday chaired by Speaker of the House John Bercow, minister for civil society Nick Hurd and Labour chair of the backbench committee Natasha Engel.

The aim of the annual debate – first held in 1999 – is to choose UKYP’s campaign for 2014.

Marc Kidson, chair of the British Youth Council, hopes politicians will be encouraged by young people’s growing interest in democracy and listen to their views on issues that are important to them.

He said: “At the next general election, young people voting for the first time could make all the difference in who governs this country.

“In the last few years we have seen record-breaking turnout from young voters in their teens electing their own representatives in local youth councils, as young mayors and as members of UKYP.

“Last month, the UKYP’s nationwide ballot reached nearly half a million young people – evidence that far from being apathetic, there is a huge surge in democratic engagement.

“We want to see our political leaders responding directly to the issues the UKYP raises. If you want us to buy in to democracy you need to talk to us, not about us.”

Hurd said he was looking forward to hearing the views of UKYP members.

“As minister with responsibility for youth policy, I am committed to bringing youth voice and views into policies and services," he explained.

“The UKYP, through its continued engagement right across the UK, makes a vital contribution to this aim.

“This is a fantastic annual event and I wish all our young parliamentarians the very best of luck.”