Four young people voted in as member of Warwickshire Youth Parliament
Warwickshire’s young people have elected their representatives for the Youth Parliament with the voting turnout a 400% increase on last year.
Four MYPs were elected, with voting taking place by text message and at youth centres across the county. The new method of voting, pioneered this year, saw a 400% increase in the voting electorate with over 1,000 young people registering their votes.
All young people between the ages of 13-19 were entitled to vote. The vast majority did so by texting.
The MYPs’ roles include meeting with officers and councillors from Warwickshire County Council on a regular basis. They are frequently asked by the Government ministers and the opposition to represent their peers/ constituents in debates on issues such as transport and services to young people.
At a local level they meet with groups of young people and represent their views at County Council consultations such as the Cooperate Performance Assessment.
Last year’s MYPs led a study to find out more about young people’s needs in transport, and worked with Warwickshire police to ensure that literature about Anti-Social Behaviour Orders was in clear language.
They also presented a petition to Ten Downing Street calling for a national identity card scheme to introduced for teenagers to ensure that young people aged under 16 can get concession rates on public transport.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, cabinet member for Children’s Services, said: “The young people of Warwickshire have established a strong tradition for getting involved in the democratic process, one that has been held up at a national level as a good example of innovative practice. Whether it is by text or by ballot I’m sure more excellent representatives will be selected as MYPs and my colleagues and I look forward to working with them after their election.”