Yahoo News Young people give their general election verdict after ChroniceLive hustings debate
North East politicians have been urged to offer young people more ahead of the upcoming general election.
Politics students at St Joseph’s Academy, in Hebburn, have given their verdict on what the main parties contesting the July 4 election are promising to the country’s youth. Eight youngsters, who are currently staging their own mock election at their school, were given the chance to quiz candidates from Labour, the Conservatives, the Green Party, Reform UK, and the Liberal Democrats at a special hustings debate hosted by ChronicleLive on Thursday.
Charlie Finnigan, who recently turned 18 and is the only one of the group eligible to vote, told the candidates that he felt that much of the parties’ election campaigning was targeted at older generations, while classmate Jude Fraser asked what they would do to combat environmental issues like sewage dumping in waterways. Tory candidate Nick Oliver was also pushed to defend prime minister Rishi Sunak’s policy to introduce a new national service scheme, compelling 18-year-olds to either enrol in year-long military training or spend one weekend a month volunteering in their community.
Charlie, from Jarrow, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) afterwards that he felt the policy was “something they are doing to win back older voters”. He added: “My first thought when I heard it was about the kind of military service when you get sent off for a year or two. I think it has been poorly explained from the Tory side and it has made them look bad.”
Fellow pupil Mia Tatum, 16, agreed that the idea had been “very poorly explained”. Mr Oliver, who is standing in the Gateshead Central and Whickham seat, said during the hustings: “We have to be clear what the policy is about – it is not about making everybody go into the army, the navy, or the air force. Some people will get that opportunity and I think many will like to do that.
“But it is about creating a sense of community in all of our communities and a project to enable that, to get people involved in the communities they live in, to feel proud of the places where they live, and to take part in our society. From that perspective I think that is a good idea. I appreciate it won’t be popular with all young people but I do think it will give some long-term benefit.”
Labour candidate Catherine McKinnell called the idea of national service “insulting”, saying that many young people are already involved in their communities, while Reform’s Lynn Murphy said there was “no way” her two children would have supported the programme.
17-year-old Jude, from Hebburn, told the LDRS that he wanted politicians to commit to extending the vote to younger people. He said: “On things like national service, older people are voting on that but we are the ones who would be affected and we don’t have a say.”
Charlie added: “I am 18, but Mia and Jude can’t vote. They are not oblivious to politics. The fact that they can’t vote but they are old enough to join the army is completely wrong.”
He also pinpointed the future of the NHS as the most important for him when casting his first ever vote in a general election – having opted to go to the dentist while holidaying in France because of the difficulties getting an appointment at home. Charlie said: “Nationally the NHS is the most important thing. I have seen myself the difficulties getting a doctor's appointment or getting registered with a dentist. I am half-French and when I was on holiday in France I ended up going to the dentist there instead of in the UK.”
For Mia, the cost of higher education was the biggest issue she wanted to see addressed. She said: “University is the big issue for me because it is so unaffordable because of the cost of student loans and accommodation. They try to push people to go to university and push the line that everyone can do it, but that is not the reality for a lot of people.
“It is important that the parties do more to make it affordable for people. You can’t get more people to train to be doctors if people can’t afford to go to university to start with.”
Green Party candidate David Francis, who is standing in South Shields, had called for an end to tuition fees during the hustings, while North Northumberland Lib Dem hopeful Natalie Younes pledged her party would reform the apprenticeships system so that young people are paid more than the “absolutely ridiculous” £5.28 per hour minimum wage.
The full debate is available to listen to via the Northern Agenda podcast feed below:
