20/11/2013 - Burgess Hill Labour Party submission: Agenda 2015 – Young people and politics
Engagement
- Members were split on the merits of votes at 16; those in favour suggesting that this will mean politicians engage with young people, including in schools, whilst those against arguing that young people are currently apathetic to voting and are not equipped to make choices around voting.
- Members agreed on the need to modernise parliament to make it more accessible, with the image of Black Rod and other procedures being off-putting to young people. It was suggested that it could be made more modern by creating a permanent base outside of London, perhaps in Birmingham and Manchester. The adversarial politics of PMQs and ill attended debates also need to be tackled. The blaming of past governments for current problems is also off-putting for many people.
- Younger MPs would make Parliament more representative.
- Labour needs to pursue a crusading agenda to engage young people, including around issues such as climate change.
- Summer camps for young people could help them engage more with the Labour Party.
- New technology should be used by the national and local parties to engage young people, and training should be offered to members on this.
Education
- More time within the national curriculum needs to be devoted to politics, helping young people to better understand the process of Government and what is happening around them.
- Members expressed a desire for vocational education to be more valued, ensuring that those not attending university are also valued.
- Members were split on tuition fees as an important issue for young people; some calling for their abolition, whilst some arguing that there are greater priorities within the education budget.