North Devon and Torridge Teens Represent Youth Parliament at Westminster

North Devon and Torridge teenagers spoke up for the UK Youth Parliament at Westminster recently.

Westminster saw a surprising change in routine on 29 October 2010,

as young people aged 11-18 from across the UK took part in an historic

debate inside the House of Commons, to raise awareness of the issues

most affecting young people in Britain.

The body of young people

known as the UK Youth Parliament had been granted annual access to the

green benches for every year of this Parliament in a landslide vote of

499 in favour to 21 opposed. Speaker John Bercow, who chaired the

debate, dubbed the UK Youth Parliament a "kaleidoscope of modern

society" - half were female, and 20% from ethnic minorities.

Five

Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) from Devon travelled to Parliament

to represent young people who face a wide range of issues, from

University fees to transport and job opportunities.

The debate

topics discussed included the War in Afghanistan, University, Job

Opportunities, Sex and Relationships Education and Transport.

Chandler

Tregaskes, Member of Youth Parliament for North Devon and Torridge,

said: "Today was a great day. UK Youth Parliament is the only other

group of people that have sat in the House of Commons other than MPs

and it was a great honour to be there. I had to sit back and take a

breath and realise it was all happening!

Aydan Greatrick, DMYP

for North Devon and Torridge said: "As I marched through the great hall

of Westminster with the massive wooden rafters and modest brick walls,

I couldn’t help but feel the development of history that this building

represented. The fact that our democracy has developed to such a point

where a body outside Parliament, yet with equal mandate for

representation, can sit in the green benches of the commons, filled me

with an enormous amount of pride for my country and our democracy."

The

UK Youth Parliament ended the debates with a vote on the topics

discussed. It was decided that the UK Youth Parliament would fight a

raise in tuition fees, oppose plans to extend the school leaving age to

18, campaign for subsidised bus fares, support the Afghan mission and

continue the campaign for compulsory sex education from primary school

onwards.