Our ‘Have Your Say’ cards generated a lot of interesting political conversations across the region, particularly about the BNP where opinions seemed polarised. Although many young people picked the BNP as the party they would vote for, youth workers have reported that political discussions soon revealed young people felt they didn’t know enough about politics in general or about the BNP. There’s a real need for political engagement and education for young people.
Young people have also highlighted the need for ongoing support when they leave school In spite of big increases in funding for youth and careers services in recent years, investment hasn’t reached all the young people who need it. It’s clear from our poll that young people are really concerned about jobs and the support they will receive when they leave school.
We need to do more to ensure young people can make an informed decision at election time. Get in touch if you can support us in this work.
Jo Coles
