Youth Manifesto

Young people like and deserve to be listened to. They have much to contribute and lead and they know what they want for themselves - and that isn't necessarily what older people think they want.

Applying those principles Alex Cunningham pulled together a group of young people from the area and worked with them to develop a list of 10 pledges they would like a future MP to make.

The results after a two and a half hour workshop which led to a discussion across the widest possible range of topics from the voting age and need for more citizenship education to developing electric cars stopping the war in Iraq/Afghanistan

From listening to their priorities, Alex has drawn up a list of ten pledges which are now being shared with them to see if he has got them right.

If you are a young person under 25, what is your view - are the pledges the right ones? Let Alex know by contacting him.

Top 10 pledges

Democracy: I will promote and support a change in legislation to bring the voting age down to 16, and encourage greater emphasise on citizenship, sex, drug, and alcohol education in our schools. If a person can work and pay tax at 16 - they should have a say in what government sits at Westminster.
Minimum Wage: I will promote and support a change in legislation to eradicate the age banding for the Minimum Wage. It is wrong for two people of different ages who sit alongside each other doing the same job to have different wages.
Environment: I will work to encourage bigger and better plans to protect our environment from recycling to electric cars to cut down emissions
Image: I will do everything I can to promote a positive image of young people. I get tired of young people being demonised and tarred with the same brush as the minority of troublemakers when the vast majority of them are valuable members of our society;
Education, Training and Jobs: I will do all I can to influence improved training, life skills and work to encourage organisations to create more jobs for young people including those with few if any qualifications;
Housing and homelessness: I will fight to increase housing provision for young people particularly the most vulnerable and campaign with them for safer solutions and an end to bed and breakfast arrangements;
Foreign Policy: I will work with young people and organisations to promote a greater awareness of developing world issues and look at how they can take direct action. I share their ambition to see Britain out of wars in the Middle East and their desire to see British foreign policy independent of the USA;
Health: I will work with health organisations to improve access to health care for young people geared specifically to them in an environment where they feel comfortable and confident - and encourage the organisations to involve young people in planning the services;
Transport: I will work with young people towards a fair system of bus fares and free transport to meet their needs. I share their ambition to see the buses nationalised.
Contact: I will develop a young person's forum which will meet with me on a quarterly basis to share views and keep in touch with the young agenda and work closely with the area Youth Parliament representatives.