Bumper vote elects new Members of Youth Parliament for Lancaster
Two new Members of Youth Parliament have been elected for Lancaster – after a record turnout of votes across the county.
The Youth Parliament elections saw a 35.5% voter turnout – which is above the 34% overall national turn out in the General Election last May.
Now seven new faces are set to proudly take the reins in areas including Lancaster, Chorley, Fylde, Hyndburn, Pendle, Preston and Rossendale.
Meanwhile, Deputy Youth MPs have been elected for Burnley, Ribble Valley, South Ribble, West Lancashire and Wyre.
The new Members of Youth Parliament for Lancaster, Fylde and Wyre are James McCafferty, a student at Ripley St Thomas Sixth Form in Lancaster, and Emilia Ficorilli.
James said: “As a Member of Youth Parliament, I will focus on strengthening mental health provisions in schools and advocating for more affordable transportation, which I feel is vital for young people's mental health and opens up opportunities they wouldn't be able to access without.
“During my campaign, what meant the most was hearing people say they voted for me not just because they recognised me, but because they believed in what I was standing for.”
Emilia said: "I really like what youth council does and what it stands for.
"The more time I've spent in Lancashire Youth Council and Fylde District Youth Council, I've grown to see how much it helps the community... I want youth to have a voice."
Elections for Lancashire MYPs were held in high schools and Family Hub & Zones in Lancashire.
The Youth Parliament is a non‑party‑political body which enables 11 to 18-year-olds to represent the views and priorities of young people at both regional and national levels.
Established in 1999, it is independent of the UK Parliament, although it does have an annual meeting in the House of Commons Chamber and parliamentary staff have helped MYPs in committee work in the past.
Run by the National Youth Agency, a charity that works with a wide range of public, private and voluntary sector organisations, it is funded by a grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
On the ground in Lancashire, MYPs are often drawn from the Lancashire Youth Council, a local, grassroots organisation linking young people to local Lancashire issues and national policymaking.
The Lancashire Youth Council is part of the council's Children and Family Wellbeing Service, which aims to prioritise the voices and experiences of children and young people with the council and beyond, and has 12 distinct youth councils aimed at representing young people’s voice across Lancashire.
It all means that young people who are elected as MYPs or Deputy MYPs get to represent Lancashire and make sure that the county's young people can have a say in the policies and decisions that affect them, now and in the future.
County Coun Matthew Salter, cabinet member for Education and Skills, said: "It's great to see so many young people engaged in politics and we are really pleased to see such a high turnout, which is better than many ordinary elections.
"We are looking forward to working with the new MYPs and seeing them speak on behalf of the young people of Lancashire."