Democratic Participation: Young People
06 Sep 2026 · Commons Chamber · 11 speeches · Official record
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I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his work; it is good to see that he continues to be an active constituency MP. One of the best parts about this role for us all is going to visit our primary and secondary schools and meeting young people-we never know what questions we are going to get. I praise the campaigning efforts of the young people from Brompton Community primary school, and encourage all young people in other schools to carry out similar community engagements. Full speech
I would like to put on the record some fantastic youth organisations, such as Harrogate Youth Council in my constituency, that do their bit to engage young people in democracy. My office manager will attest that I also do my bit by having an endless stream of work experience students through the office door-much to her frustration given the number of people who are interested. One of those students, Benjy, told me recently that he is really excited that in future young people will be able to vot... Full speech
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Young people must be seen and heard. We are giving 16 and 17-year-olds across the UK a vote in elections. We are working across Government and with our partners to prepare them to exercise that right, including through our £2.5 million Democratic Education Fund. Full speech
I thank my hon. Friend for the work she has highlighted. When we are going out and speaking to young people across schools and sixth forms, it is important to ensure that they are equipped. We want them to engage with the democratic process and to ensure that they continue that into adulthood. That means equipping and empowering them with the knowledge and understanding that they need. The Education Secretary is considering recommendations for the curriculum and an assessment review, alongside t... Full speech
This summer I had great conversations with the latest cohort of work experience students from Farnborough sixth form college, who came to spend time in my office. They all agreed that their citizenship education from the various local secondary schools they had attended was a bit hit and miss in terms of what they had been taught about how democracy works, and how they can participate in it. Does the Minister agree that if we want more young people to engage with our democracy, we must give them... Full speech
I very much welcome the Government’s plans to extend the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds, but blind and visually impaired young voters will still be disenfranchised as long as there is not legislation that requires them to be able to vote, in secret and independently, like their peers. Will the Minister please reiterate the commitment she gave last week that the Government will table an amendment to the Representation of the People Bill to provide fully accessible voting to all voters of all ag... Full speech
I thank my hon. Friend for her question and for all her work highlighting this important issue, and I am happy to reiterate my commitment on Report. As she noted in that debate, the Government have indicated their readiness to act during the passage of the Bill so that visually impaired voters can vote independently and in secret. We will continue to work with her and other hon. Members to deliver that outcome. Full speech
5. What steps her Department is taking to encourage greater participation by young people in democratic processes. Full speech
My local schools do an excellent job of engaging young people in democracy, and pupils at Brompton Community primary school deserve particular praise for taking action. They gathered evidence, took local views, and came to speak to me and the council about implementing a 20 mph speed limit outside their school-something now being actively worked on. Will the Minister join me in praising their effort, and agree that they are an inspiring example of what young people can do when they get involved ... Full speech
I thank the hon. Gentleman for that important point. It is important that we understand that young people receive information about voting through many different means, including through social media, and I know that colleagues in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport are looking at challenges around misinformation and fake news circulating online. It is important that we look at the places where young people spend the majority of their time-schools and educational settings-and en... Full speech
6. What steps her Department is taking to encourage greater participation by young people in democratic processes. Full speech