Interview: Oona King, author of The Battle to Engage - A political engagement

Around most of the party conference's exhibition hall, delegates wander aimlessly past stands struggling to gain attention.

The Nuclear Industry Association man sits bored alone and the Country Alliance's stand is deserted. But people are queuing up at 4Children's stand, where King is signing copies of her political diaries House Music. She may no longer be an MP but for the Labour faithful she's a hero. While she may be pushing her autobiography, King is also out to promote The Battle to Engage, a 10-page pamphlet she has written for 4Children.

Short and to the point, the pamphlet calls on the government to do more to get the young people of Britain interested in democracy. King believes the connection between young people and politics is vital if our democracy is to survive. "If you lose that younger generation it means we may end up in a situation where the voter turnout drops to such an extent that you have government cut adrift from its democratic mandate," she explains.