in favor of this motion and many more job people all over our country better effect to buy this issue. all you need is a good first step in today's modern job market. i asked a vote in favor of this motion. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> the opening speech to oppose the motion. i should call from the northeast of england, mr. matthew otubu. [cheers and applause] >> while, thank you, mr. speaker. thousands of young people whose work experience are the most important issue. so we know it's a big deal for young people across the country. it was voted second in a series

ballot, second in my home region of the northeast and first in my own city of newcastle. i know i don't have an accent on the bubble talk about that much later. so although i speak at this motion today, rest assured that i'm standing of work experience and career advice. listen to this, even without work experience in schools, the english department of education reported rates of up to 95%. so surely the real problem is not access, but the quality of the work in the career advice young people are being given. government describes work experience by substantial, challenging an event to the young person study programmer career inspiration. what many of us, including those who are in favor of this motion must concede that once or twice we've been on the receiving end

of miserably inadequate work experience. i believe for this reason that 47,620 young people of this united kingdom spoke out this year. they are fed up and i want to see real change. solutions to deep-rooted problems that this campaign will not even begin to address. this is only 17 to 18-year-olds. what about the 11-year-old girl and 12 through orender constituencies? one week bad days, making tea and coffee. [cheers and applause] said, we need a campaign worthy of the books of history or page on wikipedia. imagine a youth employment with one of the biggest changes of

democracy in three generations, when the campaigns are cause for curriculum to prepare for life, one that stands against gore speaks out at those changes seemingly indestructible wall of youth unemployment. or do we want the youth parliament? the campaign for young people to understand where basement and career advice that are neither insecure nor endowed of variability. but that is the only question before us today. i hope our answer will be known. fellow members of the united kingdom it parliament, we must remember that we do not sit on these green benches in this chamber to caress our egos, dignify ourselves, make our problems comfortable.

[laughter] [cheers and applause] >> now, that is not why we are here. rather, we are here to speak for 5.8 million young people of this country. think of them when we choose our two campaigns today. achievable, attainable as we must deliver a win in 2014. also, think of the effort i've made today. i have my best to do my best bow tie on. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> okay, i think we will take the young gentleman here.

>> my name is subzero. i believe better work experience is needed for account people. in southeast london, we are to coordinate our view for young people in that they want to do in the future. we asked iris of youth parliament can link life was better work experience. if you have a better curriculum come you cannot read or work experience in a better career the future. i do apologize. i'm slightly nervous today. but yeah, i think having better work experience would be a good thing for young people and work with other organizations to support the young people. [cheers and applause] >> thank you very much indeed. i think you wish to contribute.

please do. >> holly girven. thank you, mr. chairman. i did two weeks work experience and it's amazing. i knew that was the career path i wanted to go down. to me, the fact that some of the 11-year-olds and 12-year-olds now won't get to do this is outrageous. i love it. why should never must experience it, too, just because they're younger than me. you can get such valuable advice on qualifications that you need to go into a job. i personally find it really useful. so everyone should be about to do work experience and give valuable career advice to matter how will they are. thank you. [applause] >> thank you. what about the northwest of england? how about the woman at the end of the red jacket? >> thank you. i am lydia wolstenholme of the

northwest. people are happy enough with what they're going to do in the future. nobody's got the right education -- nobody knows what they're going to do in the older. i have no idea what i want to do. people are being pressured into work experience placements. i think the advice about what actual work experience means and why we should do it. it's because it's very general. were not going to go in depth in these subjects. with all money got one. in the entire week. we need to focus on the smaller things to create a fantastic curricula of life, which helps people with where they are from.

>> thank you. but about york shire and humberside? one and they are with the black jacket and a yellow pad. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i dear mac basically, our top five rarities, we found out -- [inaudible] so basically i want to say we've always been played in five goals our society. and actually come at a pressure is to do well with their future. but there is one simple question i want all of you to think about. that is, when there's not opportunities for us to prove to be about ourselves that we can do it. if there's no experience for us to actually know what are key

skills are, how could we know what we want for our future and how can this be what our society needs? also, i wanted to say that careers are really key skills for our generation because first of all, a lot of people out there don't know what they want to do in their lives. the only thing they can think of this may be a crime or they don't know anything better to do. our role as the number of youth parliament is to prevent that from happening. if we help people do this, we can attract them to actually be more productive for the area. i want you to think again, guys. people out there really need us and need our boat to get that work experience. thank you very much.

>> what about the southeast of england? the chap there with his hand up. >> schools cannot teach the skills necessary my for business. interpersonal skills are key for communicating with business partners and colleagues. in this day and age, globalization is a fat oppression prospected must people must be prepared for this. according to goldman sachs report and russia, india and china, economies will overtake the g7 economy. we will be communicating with and working with businesses in these countries. therefore, it is vital for young people to be prepared for this new world business. we refer to the real world, ladies and gentlemen. this is the real world. [applause] >> what about the east of england? the east of england, gentleman

here. >> yes, thank you, mr. speaker. i am george nodwell from westchester. [inaudible] [laughter] i believe young people deserve to have their say in work experience is really valuable. employers nowadays they're actually looking for what experience you actually have. every job interview almost a year ago asked me what experience i have is really, really crucial in making these decisions. work experience less to explore your options. it's really crucial that u.s. young people are given the chance to explore what we want to be. we can combat if we could do this one motion. it's really important coming back to education. african parter motion, we can make the u.k. a much better place for you people. thank you.

[applause] >> what about the west midlands? avalanche of people. i'm going to choose the woman jumping up and down as though she's skipping. indeed. [laughter] [applause] >> okay, a person i know the device experience and he did the exact opposite of what he wanted to do. now i don't think that's fair because he has enough qualities and enough experience in his life to get him the job he wants. if you want to be a wedding photographer, you could do exactly what he wanted to do. i don't think that's fair, so i think if we get this motion for more should extend the work experience to let more people have worked no one.

[applause] >> southwest. yes, you said that many times. women with the red hair, indeed. [cheers and applause] >> i'm so born from the southwest. i live in a really rural area. it can be seen that, it can be pretty, but it can also be pretty boring. the young people in my school are actually lucky enough to do work experience. what they are also limited by sometimes by their aspirations. sometimes they want to do things in london. they want to go abroad. they want to study and do things people in our town don't necessarily do. the thing is they are not being given the opportunity to do this. people are hindering and limited the aspiration for further work

experience. there's saying you can't do this. that's too far away. to be quite frank, quite often these young people don't even think about these. that's how it works in this town. that's how it's always worked in this town. that's the mentality. to be honest, as the youth parliament, i don't think we should be limiting aspirations. one experience that target young people to embellish the aspirations to make sure they have work experience and that they want to do. not just going to the local house and because they always have been. we need to make sure work experience has targeted all young people in areas that they want to do. therefore, i wish the youth parliament of the 2014 campaign would be better work experience and advice. [cheers and applause] >> scotland. whoever got from scotland?

the young women here. >> im haley collins from scotland. i believe work experience is beneficial. it sometimes leads to brightside employment come much happen for a number of people in my area. they're actually withdrawing drying up really soon, so i'm hoping this could be our campaign because i'd like to see a comeback. it allows employers to see what young people are capable of. the benefits are numerous. i think it gives young people ambition, aspiration and confidence and these are great qualities we cannot for young people for the future. i hope you will choose work experience as your national camp pain. [applause] >> okay, we've got a bit of time. we will go back to london. whoever got from london?

all right. you are beside yourself with excitement. >> i'm dania bradan. although i agree with where we think this. i will help you in the future, this debate is going to come to a conclusion the solution lies within education and curriculum. i would encourage you out to vote for a better national curriculum, whether that the career advice or advising on the process of applying to work experience. i think the curriculum and education assert tops. thank you. [applause] >> what about the northeast of england? yes, sir. >> ben rowden from metals for. we need work experience. it's a great idea. i don't quite fancy making tea and coffee my whole week. once again, i think we've made a mistake and that we said we want work experience incurred is to

be accessible. we haven't said what we want to happen within that careered dice where it did not work experience. so what we are saying is yes, we'll send everyone away for another week or two weeks of work experience at making tea or coffee. we haven't got it through. that's the real danger when we've got policies and issues such as youth unemployment, which is the root of all of this. we talk about how people need for a price when in fact we're setting them up for employers to turn around and say actually, this guy is 30. he's got more experience than you in the real world. what are we setting them up for? we haven't specified what we want to achieve through this policy. that's quite a big danger. we should go for something that is really affect you people. i can think of nothing better than unemployment. [applause]

>> not the very largest urdu delegation of the west midlands. [laughter] >> yes. all sorts of words spring to mind. the woman with the pink jacket. >> thank you, mr. speaker. yes, i think we should have better work experience. but it should not be made compulsory as work experience needs to retain and of course pull their socks up, but that their shoes on and walk out and get those opportunities for themselves. [cheers and applause] we cannot get young people to think on a platter. something mouse needs to -- [laughter] i'm sorry. i think that we shouldn't give

them the platform because at the end of the day it's another thing we need to do get into university, get a job and then we need something mouse. i think we should not vote for this national campaign. we should vote for some pain -- [inaudible] >> thank you. what about the east midlands? yes, from the east midlands. i think we look over the gentleman there. yes, you, sir. [inaudible] [laughter] >> my name is alistair read from the east midlands link and share. i did two weeks of work experience a year or two ago. i've worked with technicians in

a school and i found that very beneficial. the next week was a company i found -- i think work experience was very good and everyone should have the opportunity to do work experience. i also think people should take other opportunities also. the ncs in a summer, national citizen service. given charity were, volunteer, social action and skills that actually showed positive image for years. i think doing stuff like that is a good day if you like youth

unemployment to go down and make yourself stand out. [applause] >> what about northern ireland? yes, okay. woman at the end from northern ireland. go ahead. [inaudible] >> everybody down here has work experience and everybody has good points and bad points. i myself have work experience working with the prime minister and i can certainly say i make coffee every day. i was able to help them -- [inaudible] but i think work experience brings a different side. some people in here said young 11, 12-year-old cannot say why do i want to do? this or that? if it's fair comment they should be used accordingly.

people sat in a sermon that -- [inaudible] that's basically telling me they can't pick a career. i think you will really help children explain what they want to do with their lives. [applause] >> what about whales? whoever got from wales? what about the gentleman third along? yes, indeed. >> i am ted simons. i represent wales. i believe the major theme for our state is young people. we empower young people to find opportunities like work experience. we should empower them speak out against bullies, empower them to find opportunities. basically this is a great

opportunity, the young people and they can then fill the confidence when things are going the way they want them to. so that's what i think. [applause] >> what about the east of england? >> yes, the women there. >> thank you, mr. speaker. my name is someone. dashed natasha glendening. when he set the motion he said work experience can comprise of making tea and coffee. yes they can't yes, sometimes work experience is bad and not tailored for young people. however, this motion does not oppose career advice being used to make sure that these are good for these young people. this motion does not oppose improving experience. so i really believe that if we

want young people to experience good work experience, we must vote for this issue so we can improve work experience by working with young people are tailoring their life experience for them. [applause] >> thank you. northwest of england. what about the chap just here. indeed. >> there's a world of education in the world of work. it seems bizarre to me that the school to provide work experience has been removed at the very time with such high youth unemployment. those schools in my constituency are and work anymore. so sure they come in the bridge between the classroom and the work raises even more crucial and people are not only concerned about the choice of job, but the availability of

work. [applause] >> okay, london's turn again. a woman from london. here indeed. >> something i want to bring up is currently the work experience before this that i was lucky to get a great place that an organization. i've done a lot in the past. currently at the moment you get great work experience if you have great experience. a lot of young people do not have this kind of contacts, do not go up there. that doesn't mean they don't care. it's a sinking government is saying about people who don't go out and get jobs. their reasons behind it. it's not that people don't care. they are lacking confidence. we can't ask young people to get great work experience and career paths because of the people they

know. we have to make sure that. nice, work experience goes through a general base likes will come as everyone can get equal opportunities to great work experience. [applause] >> southeastern england. you have been in the state of uncontrollable excitement for the last couple of hours. your moment has arrived. >> thank you so much, mr. speaker. i'm so proud to represent the midway today. white recently we had a conference about work experience and careers advice. general consensus is over 200 people said we weren't getting enough work experience, career advice. work experience builds up confidence. they have the skills they need to go and face the world of work and also take at this house goes they need to go out and be

better people in society. i urge you guys to go for this issue, please. [applause] >> thank you at the time is always against us. there is one more debate to follow. i encourage everyone who has been called, including those who have been animatedly calling for my attention. i call upon our representative representative -- [cheers and applause] >> mr. speaker, that's a work experience and greater price. prior to goal and theoretical. both the same endpoint which support each other like a married couple. but let's take a step that. these for my education system really affect those get laid?

society makes debating numbers. our facebook friends say how? our world is going to judge people on what they've achieved instead of looking at the potential they have grow as a person. as friends will describe their work asked. sue me. a tea pouring, paperpushing, can i help you, sir, ideal. that seems to be a recurring issue rations to those who want the extra step in life. so i ask myself, how so? but then, the vital push i needed to break the gap between education and life is fundamentally crucial in a young person's journey into adulthood. but let's face it, we can't be

ignorant. ignorant to the actual prospect, which builds her dreams to her teenage years. so i hear you call for an answer. guidance. how can we devote these to put my own minds is return images of me walking on a catwalk with victoria back on. it really is time to face the truth. we kind of need help. the irony? we have bad health. 95% of us have work experience, but the majority of it poorly structured. not helped by the fact that stereotypes are constantly fulfilled, a waste of time. why focus of the minority?

the abuse of persuasion on power. researching my topic and reality, something you all need to understand. work experience and fire employees for the quality of its various communist question. yet employers increasingly focus on education. all of civilized society should be educated in the basics of life. math, english and science. it is both academic education along with the growth of the individuals that will deliver a better society. so i ask you this question today, should we be fueling into an ever declining system? or should we be investing in the

future of our society? from the winstone of my parents, my name translates as the leader of people. so mr. speaker, you look at me today for a complex tale of pros and cons for i can help you no further. it is your time to decide. [cheers and applause] >> minhazul abedin, thank you very much indeed for that wynette. the youth parliament will be the fifth and last motion of the day relating to those 416 and 17-year-olds in all public elections as printed on the order paper. to move the motion, i call from the east midlands. give a warm welcome to him,

mr. shaquille hot off. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the conventions are subject to the debate of the u.k. y p. the most relevant topic to young people. 49,945 young people are the national campaign for the u.k., making the most popular topic on the agenda today. for too long, this issue has lingered in our hearts and mind and now it is finally time to get this long-awaited attention. ..

. >> this one year has cost me my representation, my political participation, and most importantly my voice. we are being robbed. common arguments is -- these are not sufficient reasons to deny them the vote. every age range of people who may not have enough political knowledge to vote yet we don't stop certain people voting based on their political awareness. and even if it is low, we have empowered young people.

we are finally being represented in council, european parliament and general election. the government has to listen. you may be interested to know that the same arguments were used against a vote for 18 year olds and the women's suffrage movement. which empowered women to vote. in the past the uk's lead the world in both -- voting reform but i feel we are trailing. something was a huge step towards a fair and equal democracy. the breaking down of a civil rights barrier and i sure you, vote 16 is the next step. and practically this is a winnable campaign. at this very moment in time they couldn't be a more relevant topic. the policy continues -- the labour party has reiterated its support for extending the franchise.

scotland has given the go to the upcoming referendum. so they can to show support for by backing the idea. this progress finally causes us to draw the line in the sand in 2014. it is our call to action. so i implore you to vote on a national campaign that will change the lives of young people for centuries to come and help bring this topic to a fine or conclusive head. myp's, the time has i believe time for one more voting reform. let's reengage the disengaged and franchise the disenfranchised and regards the disregarded. let's give the vote to young people who deserve that responsibility. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> thank you for getting us off to a cracking start with that speech. to oppose the motion i go mr. matthew walker from wales.

[cheers and applause] >> thank you, mr. speaker. well, how do i follow that? i'll tell you how. to vote or not to vote at 16, that is the bush with a more competent answer than some of your may think. when i came to write the speech either list of worn-out clichés as long as my left eye. for example, education may not prepares to vote at 18. let alone 16. but then a friend of mine pointed out, you will need some statistics to back these up. so as i've got to the internet i realize one thing, the evidence is inconsistent. the report by the electoral commission a few years ago said some 500 responses recommended the voting age remain 18. in the same year the report completed, the children and

young people's assembly of wales had a document that said the complete opposite. 80% of all welsh and the people questioned said yes, give us the vote at 16. we already. although this is from welsh, not widely researched, it shows a wide range of opinions. it shows this to be the top issue. way to go dimension is just under 20% of all of those votes came from one single city. and east of england this is 70%. this is a fair representation? i don't think so. we all want jobs and a better education. we want bowling to be prevented in schools. you all represent young people over 16. our nation is divided. we should campaign is something we should have this is what our young people one.

let's not second-guess those of who we represent. on the 25th of october, the voting age reduction will have a second reading in the house of lords. as the labour party ed miliband supported, so let's leave this to the politicians who are already getting this the attention they deserve. thank you much, mr. speaker. [applause] >> what about hearing someone from the northwest of england lacks that woman is in a state of great agitation. indeed. [laughter] [inaudible] we civil voting at 16 and we love councils and present the presentation at a council meeting. it is one of the first places the uk is publicly announced to support vote 16.

it shows council to care about the young people have trust in the. isn't it time we did this nationally? [applause] >> thank you. what about london? who have we got from london? a massive, huge delegation. the woman in the back was jumping up and down. >> thank you, mr. speaker. camile richman's -- richards from richmond. we been called the lost generation of women called -- that is why 16 and 17 year olds shows the government doesn't trust and faith in the youth today. we must bridge the gap between the social divide between young people and adults by introducing vote for 16 and 17 year old. let's look at scotland as an example. as many referendum to allow 16 and 17 year old to vote. let me finish on the last little quote. trust people and they will trust you.

show them greatness and they will show themselves to be great. thank you. [applause] >> what about the west midlands? i think that gentlemen there. yes. you look at -- no, no. no, no. you, you, you. i didn't tell you. you look as though you suffered a bereavement but your chance has that right. i am pointing at you. indeed. >> meet black snake lacks. [laughter] thank you so much. [applause] thank you, mr. speaker. i've been waiting for this moment all day. [applause] i am from the west midlands. i'm here representing my

constituency in birmingham. now, i think let me just our with a point. the fact that we are here today shows that we are willing to be involved in this democratic process. we need to address this democratic deficit by getting involved at 16. this is a goth i a champion for many years now. i remember when i was a 15 year old. we are discussing work experience early. i was at my work experience. i was saying to my supervisors, come i continue to do this. unitas on my petition. this petition is going to jog national government and this is something we need to consider greatly. now, we talked about how young people do not vote. how do we know that they will not vote if we don't give them the opportunity to do so? i'm sorry, i'm losing a bit of my point. i'm going to make my argument very clear here today.

[laughter] we need the vote. i am ready to vote. i was ready to vote at the age of 15. i know which party i would be voting for. i would be voting for a party that champions young people's causes and a party that supports the introduction of vote at 16. now, you are all here for a purpose, to represent the views and opinions of young people. let me tell you this now. would you be -- no. sorry, sorry. i imagine all of you are very supportive of the system we are currently in. i think we need to get this vote. i know while some of you may have said you wouldn't vote at 16, i know you would have stood for elections. the reason as alluded to earlier got young people are often the hardest hit by government policy. but if we do not have a say to

stop such government policy, -- [inaudible] the government tends not to attack. [applause] >> older people, if we turn out and vote they will not -- will not be the victims of this government. come on, support it. [applause] >> thank you. okay. why do you think i love chairing these debates every year? it's a passion, the enthusiasm, the eloquence, the commitment. this is a very proud day for our parliament and for me and all of you are showing why we are so proud of you. let's have someone from the southwest. okay. we'll have the woman who stood up -- you probably all stood up. the woman with a black outfit and the pink ribbon. no, no. , you, indeed.

>> now, i think something that we all need to realize is that democracy in this country focuses very much on the short term. the government which governs as if you going -- getting on a four-year term. what we as young people offer is a perspective that is a much long-term perspective. so this is what i feel that a vote at 16 is very important. to tackle long-term issues such as unemployment for young people, issues such as curriculum for love, such as bowling. these are all long-term very long -- public your issues. the only way young people can have awakened the only way these can be tackled long-term is if you the ability to vote at 16. i really get urge you to vote. thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much. who have we got from scotland? [laughter] >> this man here was virtually assaulted. [laughter] i use the word virtually for good reason. [applause]

>> let's hear from you. >> thank you, mr. speaker. scott simpson. going off the honorable member who spoke in favor of the motion. on the 18th of september next you, 1 16 and 17 you forget to vote for the first time in scotland on the referendum on scottish independence. i find young people all over scotland are engaging deeply in debates and more young people engaging with politics. lowering the voting age for all elections will ensure that more young people do not feel disconnected from politicians -- sorry. instead, they will be having a direct impact on the people who make decisions on their behalf. 16, 17 year old our contributors to society. they should be rewarded i having the right to vote applause not. >> okay. i think it's time that we heard from the east of england. alt-a, who have we got from the

east of england? we will take you in the blue. yes. thank you. >> i'm nathan marshall. and it just take a moment to reflect on something? earlier we were talking about combating youth employment. we said before that we would be only focusing on a minority of our youth parliament. now, i'm not saying i wouldn't love to be part of an influence across my country. that's what i want to do. but i am simply stating that already we've heard today the lib dems, conservatives and the labour party have already said they are backing it. there's a high chance and a new referendum in scotland it will happen. everything and everyone has already said we like the idea. why give them more attention? we in the east part of it should be backing something that we can

have progress or everybody. after all, that's why we are here. [applause] if we were to continue for vote at 16, 17 which i believe will happen and should happen, we will only be addicting ourselves with something we've already said and that's something i've done, contradict myself. so just think about what logic, if we can't be one motion because of a minority we are already including, why not think otherwise is it has a high chance. if it is, go to something else. thank you. [applause] >> what about northern ireland? who do we have from northern ireland? this chap here, indeed. >> timothy eldon from northern ireland. the first thing i'd like to address, vote at 16, what is that going to do for the 16 year

olds on the streets were unemployed? [applause] today we're put a lot of focus on the future of young people across the united kingdom. yes, we need better able to express. yes, we need life skills. and yes, we need employment. but we can't do these things individually. we need to put our eyes and a efforts to something higher. we need look at full education reform. i know i'm going -- taking a bit of a deviation but this is very important. we are blessed with her education. in my constituency we have a dickson plan, but out of simply government is attempting to undermine that. in england you lost your grammar education decades ago and you have seen your quality of education reduced. we need to bring back primary

education. this is something we need to bring back. the we need to bring back a grammar education to get everyone the chance to achieve the fullest what they can. we need -- we are one people, one nation, one education, thank you. [applause] >> what about yorkshire? who have we got from yorkshire? i think we will take this young man here. know, this gentleman here who is jumping up and down saying meet, need. -- mimi. >> thank you. at 16 you can have children -- josh wicks. at 16 you can have children and make life-changing decisions.

does this not prove that 16 year olds are able are capable of making life-changing decisions? why should the general election be any different? [cheers and applause] >> who have we got we have not heard from anyone from the southeast? >> mr. speaker. [laughter] >> okay, this woman gyrating if i can put it that way, as if you were on a dance floor. we will hear from you. >> k. sutherland from the southeast. i can't possibly understand why you would invite any other issue except as. this is going to affect all of us in this very -- if you're 18 or 12. you will be growing up to then vote for the people that you want to represent you and that could be summit in this room one day. i would also like to say that this campaign is back in what

the government believes and this is a campaign we can work with the government to achieve together. and it's not like the scottish referendum. we can get lots of useful caching useful information from that. [applause] >> thank you. we've not yet heard in this debate from the northeast. northeast. who have we got from the northeast? this is impossibly difficult. you can even share a speech if you want to. i better not encourage that. [laughter] >> i'm beth solomon. i would like to dispute the idea of neglect for 11-year-olds again because they will grow up to be 16 and get the vote. when we make this decision today it's not just going to be for one year, that's a. it. it's going to be for the future. you will be 16, you'll be 16 you will. if not only going to be -- that's what i mean.

we don't, it's not selfish of us to think of the future. like, it's not selfish of us to come it's not selfish of us as a youth parliament to dispute everything else and focus on this because government is backing it. it's not selfish of us do want to have a successful campaign, it is something we haven't had yet and i believe that we can if we do a great and vote for 16. thank you. [applause] >> we had an opening speaker from the east midlands but we haven't had one from a backbencher from the east midlands. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i am really honored to represent east midlands. i'm not going to lie, i was on the fence, and now from what i

gathered in the debates going back on was that we are very much pro-vote 16. i reselected 16 about a month ago and i'm proud to say i'm coming out of the vote 16 calls. i'm coming out, guys. not outweigh. [applause] -- not that way. i'm sorry, but i've heard again and again how we are not mature enough. we are here because we are mature. other countries, argentina, they have the vote. [applause] we are ready for this. the time is coming. argentina on not having the apocalypse. brazil is not falling under. you know, this could be a successful campaign. democracy is such a beautiful thing. i want a piece of that so please, vote for this. [applause]

>> okay, there was one person -- call me feeble and weak, but there was one chap whose misery was so unadulterated if i didn't call him it was going to ruin my weekend. [laughter] let's hear from you, sir. i hope that cheered you up. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, mr. speaker. my name is kyle since and i'm representing the west midlands. now, people will tell us that in recent elections the youngest age group has had the lowest turnout. now let me say this. have you seen the results for the make your mark ballot? [applause] how many young people wanted their voice to be heard and decided that they would take action and mark those ballot paper so we could be here today? now, at the elections happening not long ago from the percentage

of voters, only 12% came back. makmajor mark ballots for youth parliament received 27%. so that shows that our young people want this vote and will work for it. now to paraphrase hairspray, if you tried to hold is done we'll spit in your eye and say you can't stop the beat. [applause] [cheers and applause] we will earn the vote. we will use our vote successfully so we can be heard in our system, and we will get what we want from our government. thank you applause not. >> okay. i want to hear -- i'm doing my best to make it there. i want to hear a guy from london. this -- sorry.

i did see this guy first. [applause] >> i am represent the best region there is, london. [applause] we are all in london right now. [laughter] now, a great man once said to me, it is fundamental that vote 16 happens because it shows it doesn't have to change. but it shows the government is listening. we keep hearing that why should we do anything if the government is doing something? we should be doing something our young people, not just a government. that's the whole reason why we are here. they say we cannot have the. they say we don't care about politics. yes, many more students are engaging in politics.

they say we are not mature enough but yet we are expected to make decisions that affect the rest of our life. does that make sense? [applause] vote for 16 gives us a platform to make change and make influence. it says the government this week care. we get. i urge you to vote vote 16. i will give you my silence if you vote for 16. [laughter] [applause] i urge you today. i will be voting vote 16. happily vote vote 16. so please vote, vote at 16. thank you. >> okay. what about whales? who have we got left from whales? okay, let's take the woman at -- second row from the back. but an ultimate row, thanks.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm sophie wilding and i represent wales. basically, vote at 16 is such a big topic and it such a big responsibility for us to have. i know a political party i support from but half o of the people do not understand what political party to vote for. i think education is a massive part of the. we need to be educated before we go into this. if we do not know what party were going to vote for, we understand, we are only a small minority of young people. [applause] how do we know what they understand? like we understand completely the difference between the parties. we understand what they do and how they do things. but my friend, she hasn't got a clue but she didn't know that this existed. she did know the was a youth

parliament, so how could she not be trusted? how can she be left on own decisions to pick our pm? how can that work? that is just -- i am for vote at 16 but some people don't understand the responsibility that comes with. [applause] >> dear, oh dear, it's impossible. i think the woman there, yes. you at the end and the black outfit. >> my fellow mips combined to say this -- spent i'm sorry. forgive me. i don't wish to be unkind but his offer to let someone else who hasn't spoken. what about the woman at the end with -- yes. yes. >> me?

spent yes, you. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to follow on from this point and i think we should vote alongside vote for 16 because i think it's extremely -- [applause] i think it is really important for young people's growth and develop it that they need to understand the parties and the policies as well. it makes such an impact on their lives and it affects all young people all over the uk. thank you. [applause] >> have we got anybody else waiting to speak from northern ireland? yes, okay, we will take you. please. >> thank you, mr. speaker. firstly may i say i believe the numerical success of the extension of the vote choice in the major mark campaign that has been used to suggest a political

engagement by young people and some hidden erroneously defined majority. i would remind you the make your mark campaign is not a proof of youth interest in politics. in real life, mips, the people must go to the ballot box at the ballot box does not go to the people. [applause] >> secondly there has been the suggestion that we should have some form of political education to the policy of franchise extension. to prevent the rise of extremist parties. i am sorry but what is the point of encouraging the growth of the branches of the great tree of democracy, the franchise, with its roots, its principal are torn up from the ground to educate against any party, extreme or moderate, isn't censorship. and has engineered that claims

to be a tolerant democracy. applaus[applause] finally, members, in the words of the famous political philosopher edmund burke, we of our and actors not merely our industry but our judgment. and we betrayed them if we deny them either. my judgment tells me that the young are too unconcerned, to ineffective, too immature, quite simply too young to be given the vote. i know it is a popular policy myp, but what is popular is not always right. and what is right is not always popular. [applause] >> i want to thank you for that speech, both for the quality of your delivery, and if i may say

so, i say this to all college, but are importantly standing up for what you believe. sometimes we do swim with the tide of opinion around us, and sometimes we don't. is very important to respect the capacity and willingness of public representatives to speak according to their convictions. whether it may take them. i say that not just to that gentleman from northern ireland, but to everybody who has spoken, a huge thank you. i'm sorry to say that all good things come to an end and i must now call -- give her a huge welcome. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, mr. speaker. okay. here's how it is. the arguments for vote at 16 are pretty darn good, right?

[applause] spin arguments against the motion some might say are equally pretty decent. and that's what makes the issue so divided. there are some really good points on both sides. it's like can you even going to love it or you're going to hate it. this campaign already has a heck of a lot of support for adding major big political parties of properly backing vote at 16 not to mention scotland already has a referendum allowing 16 year old to vote so should this be our next campaign if it's expected to happen anyway? it also excludes all those 11-15-year-olds who we have been elected by. we represent everyone at 1118 and every single age between. we even represent both 16 and 17-year-olds who haven't got a clue who david cameron is. and, frankly, --

[applause] >> and, frankly, probably don't care. trust me, there's a fair amount of them out there, so how are they supposed to make an informed votes lex so let's be honest. does the average 18, 19 or 20 year old really have that much more political knowledge than your average 16 or 17 year old? to me on 18th birthday easily turn into this walking political dictionary? there are so many of those out there who don't know the first thing about politics, but they will have the right to vote. [applause] >> you can't -- you can help pay their wages and expenses. [applause] but you cannot vote for who they

are. now, being the last speaker, i get that you probably decide what you're voting for way before i started speaking. but ice years occurred you to vote for a winnable campaign. by the end of the year we can turn around and say as uk yp we achieve this. now, this -- do you really think it will help unemployment, bowling, work expense or the national curriculum? in a year what makes vote at 16 so utterly fabulous is the fact it takes a practical vote as well as a great in principle work. the timing for this campaign is unreal. we've got a chip or election around the corner. there's so much hype and buzz around the topic. oh, my goodness. the stars could not have been more aligned for this to work. we need to strike while the iron is hot. [applause]

>> however -- [laughter] before we do, we just need to think, how much does this actually matter to all the young people we represent? and the facts are speaking loud and clear for themselves. this is number one, 15 topics in the major ballot. as i said in a beginning it is the marmite, but whether you love the idea of vote for 16 are just downright hat hate it, but today really boils down to, what it's all about is listening to all the people we represent. locally, regionally, nationally. and that is what i have every confidence you all do. get out there and represent. [applause]

>> thank you so much for winding up our proceedings in such fantastic style. i think that was appreciated i everyone in the chamber, and all those attending to our proceedings elsewhere. that concludes the debates for today. while we're waiting for the votes, and we are still waiting for votes, i'm keen to progress with the remaining speeches of the day. so i'm keen that people should take their seats quickly as possible. now, colleagues, i referenced much earlier in our proceedings the presence of my parliamentary colleague, the labour member, a

hugely universally respected and i think also universally liked member of parliament. and if you knew natasha you would know why she is why did like. she is utterly devoid and totally committed to the public good. she has also, alongside the minister for civil society, been here and i thank them very warmly both of them, throughout our proceedings. they have been on the estate all that and i think natasha has been in the chamber throughout. naked pretty much throughout despite ministerial obligations under appreciative of the commitment they have both shown. and i hope you come in the spirit of recognition of her respect for you, will show your respect for the tosh as i ask her to addresses.

natasha. [applause] >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. it's quite an introduction, and some of you were here over the last couple of years and you know that this is my one vacation at the dispatch box every year. which i enjoy very much indeed. but yes, i sort of got it as well because the quality of speeches, all of us, we've been talking, the quality of the speeches has been absolutely phenomenal across the board. i mean, some of you quite honestly, you stand at the dispatch box, you are a lot better than many ministers that we know. not you. [laughter] [applause] >> but also in honor of the uk department, go on twitter. get i have joined the 20% and

i've been a one woman twitter storm sitting on these benches between what you've been saying. and response to what you've said have been come is called re-tweeted? is that -- i don't know what a hashtag is. [laughter] >> but what anybody it is thing is how polite you are, how you listen to each other, how respectful, how brief you are. how you say what you think and you sit down again. that is something we could learn something from. one of the comments i was released drop by, i don't mrs. agree with it but i think it shows a real kindness with the young woman who said about how can we justify government providing jobs for young people in there so many adults were unemployed? i was really touched by that because it shows in spite of what people say, young people really are very caring and i think that kind of comment sort of exemplifies that.

i did a talk recently, and it was something also done by parliament but it was really fascinating and i talked about the gap between politicians and the people we represent. and i did a bit about language and how that really, the way that we use language sometimes really distances us from the people that we represent. and i think today every single person who spoke, you have definite opinions. you are very brave and what you see. sometimes what you said about what is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right, i think he is a really important issues. and that we stand up for what we believe in, even when it means that we become ourselves very unpopular. and so i think the other comment that i really took away with me, was the young man who said, you heard the facts, the stats, the figures. i won't bore you again.

only that something that we really, really need to take as a lesson when we stand up in parliament and would make the same point over and over again, repeating the same facts and stats and figures that the previous and the previous and the previous and the previous speaker used. so we will take that away with this. i also wanted to sail pleased i was, finally i heard my own myp speak in front. it was a long time coming and very well done. we've got a plan, and depending on what the issues that you have voted on today, i checked the back bench committee and with the big plan to make sure that whatever it is that your chosen today will go before the backbench business committee by members of parliament to promote here what it is that you've chosen today so that you know that we listened to you. [applause] >> and the other -- the other

person that i think we really out to thank and without whom none of us would be today is mr. speaker. he has been -- [cheers and applause] >> he has been campaigning for the uk youth parliament to be allowed to sit in this chamber for many, many years. and it was one of the first things he did when he took the chair was to allow the youth uk parliament to come your and have an annual sitting. it was a very hard battle, but i think almost everybody, i don't know that edward is on board with it yet but i think almost everybody who sits in the chamber from a monday to thursday, i think everybody agrees that this has only enriched parliamentary life. we are very, very grateful to

you. don't think i would add though is that the enthusiasm with which people sprung up to catch your eye but don't expect that from a monday to thursday because we have all been very carefully cultivating our differences and you don't always. so thank you very, very much for everything you have done. and the last person i would like to thank is robin. i have rarely heard such a moving, opening statement. and i think maybe if we can introduce anything to parliamentary life, it would be, be reminded why we are here, what we're doing here and the importance of what we do when we are here. [cheers and applause] >> it would be a wonderful way to start the day, and i will

certainly vote for that campaign next year. i'm really looking forward to hearing what it is. i have my fingers crossed one particular issue. it's a bit late now anyway. the votes have been counted. but i will now hand it over to the cabinet minister, a very excellent speaker i have to add. thank you very much, i think you, all of you, for coming. [cheers and applause] >> natascha, thank you for that speech and, indeed, everything you've done. please give a similarly enthusiastic welcome, colleagues, to the minister for civil society, mr. nick heard. [applause] >> mr. speaker, this dispatch

box has taken one hell of a beating. [laughter] [applause] i counted at least three microphones that are in urgent need of repair. [laughter] mostly over the london section i'm proud to say. as a london anti. for that, mr. speaker, it testament to what you come it on and would natascha commented on, which was obvious, a packed gallery upstairs which is i think i've witnessed more passion, integrity, compassion, humor and succinctness in four hours this afternoon than i have in eight years in this place. it's been -- [applause] and how often must you have yearned to hear a member of

parliament say, i've made my point so i will sit down. [laughter] brilliant. absolutely fantastic. [laughter] i wholly -- i wholly endorse what she said about the speech at the store. i thought it was amazing. you can be as rude as you like about people who work here, and sometimes that is utterly justified, but this place is magnificent and matters deeply. it's not just where we make law. it's where we settle our differences and where we have debates, where arguments are won or lost. where over the years, magnificent campaigns in the name of social justice have been persevered with and one. it's a magnificent place and it's entirely right that you meet here, mr. speaker, and i join transit in thanking you for your wholehearted support for this. but if i could ask you also to

express your thanks for all the staff, the doorkeepers and it would involve who have made this -- [applause] >> like you, mr. speaker, and natascha, i think this occasion really matters. in fact the prime minister has recently as be to take on responsibility for youth policy, so good news. there is a minister in the government for youth. bad news, it's meet. [laughter] but i asked for it. i'll tell you why. because i think it's so important that we hear the voice of young people. in fact, i don't think it's ever been more important. i will teach you reasons why. the first is this. this country is aging very fast. a number of people over 65 will grow by 50% between now and

2030. at the same time our young people and you have been so eloquent on this, perhaps don't understand our fiscal process when the and don't feel sufficient engage. i worry deeply about a statistic i saw in the last survey on this which told me that of 18t 18th-24-year-olds who can vote the next election, only 12% say they definitely will. what i very clear about is we cannot let the politics of this country and this place be dominated by the priorities of old people. and if we're not careful there's a real danger that we will. i have no shortage of advice for people in my constituency. in fact, to counter that, i said we have two wonderful people here today. [applause] in addition to that i have my own youth house and my constituency. i have two young people from every school in independent and

state school. we meet to talk about what matters. the first weekend was a complete -- we talked about what matters global. we talked about what mattered internationally, nationally and what mattered elsewhere. the issues were completely different from the ones that i normally are asked to engage with. the word immigration didn't come up at all. this is enormously important that would create the space for young people. not just to talk but to be heard. and i think today has been really important in reinforcing that because the issues you raise are massive. youth unemployment, we are wasting the potential of a million young people in this country. it's a source of national shame. before anyone starts to make too many political points about this, youth unemployment rose 40% under the last government during good times. and actually but this raises is

the issue you raised, which is how well are we preparing youth for the world of work and life? and you are saying not well enough. i think you're right. because i listen to employers, and survey after survey of employers are saying the same thing. they had the same qualifications matter of law. what we are looking for is something else. we are looking for what you have been describing, life skills. and they can be developed. a couple of you talked about national citizen service. i'm the minister. we take enormous pride because we create opportunities for 16 and 17-year-olds from different backgrounds to come together because you don't get enough chance to do the. we take you completely out of your comfort zone for three weeks and the results are fantastic in terms of building confidence and developing exactly the kind of skills employers are looking for. confidence, the ability to get on with people from different backgrounds. to be part of a team, to manage.

all of this are skills that need to be developed. i'm a huge believer in that, and the passion with which many of you spoke about bullying was deeply, deeply impressive. i have a charity called beats bullying which i was delighted to hear mentioned today. creating space for young people to make a difference. not just ask politicians, but young people actually help other young people suffering from bullying. and, of course, the whole issue for your voice, your democratic rights issue to important. it's not an issue that is going to go away. it's absolutely right that you should continue to assist with the. what am i going to do? heard a letter from the prime minister, brilliantly right out. he said i was to report back to him on today. i think the consequences for me if i don't do that are unthinkable. so i will do that. i'm scheduled to present the

cabinet next tuesday, mr. speaker, to talk about our plans to expand the whole agenda of what we do to try and improve life skills. and i'm going to talk about it today, i wish you were here, to the passion of young people to help us prepare better for the workplace and life. the passion around the curriculum for life, you know the select committee, report has been published. i will follow up on that. you get a response before christmas. and then your natascha, big move. what we are talking about is finding space in this parliament's time to debate the issue that you choose, or choose one of the issues that you choose. that's important. that matters. funky dragons come as someone said today, can be just about

facebook, or the nice feeling of being here at its kind of what you do with it now, that really matters. and all our deep assistance. these campaigns don't last more for you. most of the important ones have lasted a lot longer than that. and yes, continue to represent -- if i make one plea of you. go out and inspire others. go out and inspire because there's so many of your generation that don't feel connected. go into schools, you know what a newbie does? very really does a hand go up. inspire. educate. [applause] >> a lot of rubbish talked about your generation. some areas of the press should be ashamed about what they write to a completely different view

from my experience. i think you represent arguably the most compassionate and social responsible an entrepreneur generation this country has produced in a very, very long time. you have proved it. thank you. [applause] >> nic, thank you very much indeed for that. it was usually appreciated by all members of the youth parliament. i'm going to ask to speak either from the floor or from the dispatch box by way of them i think, expression of thanks, though no thanks our record. were happy to hear from her, from yorkshire, ms. jd ward -- katie ward. [applause] >> fifteenth of november, 2013, a date now engraved in your memories forever. today, 300 members of the youth

parliament have come together to debate and represent the views of your constituents in this chamber. each one of us should feel proud and honored to have the opportunity to sit on these famous green benches. each one of you should go back to your constituencies, knowing that you've done an outstanding job expressing the views of the countries young people. to an organization like the youth parliament, you need dedicated and enthusiastic staff who worked endlessly to make the youth parliament operate successfully. i'm sure i can speak on behalf of everybody involved in these parliaments and for a massive thank you to the british council staff and the youth workers here today, and also to those unable to be here, for all the hard work they have put in over the past year. [applause]

>> thanks also to the house of commons staff, to those events are from the unwelcoming today. and we truly appreciate you being so accommodating for us. also i would like to express a personal gratitude to all the members of parliament who have come to witness as speak today and also worked with us and support us on a local double. a special mention goes to nick heard he was taken time out of his timetable to come and listen to our debate and speak to us today. [applause] make is also a causes support of the youth parliament. thank you so much, nic. furthermore, natascha who addresses today and is a firm believer of the youth parliament

work. thank you to both of you for coming today. [applause] >> there may be 300 members of your department here today, but let's not forget our fellow myps, and lots of other young people involved in youth democracy who unfortunately cannot be here today, but to contribute and assisted us with a local campaigns and projects from the last year. we couldn't have done it without them. also to those who kind of magnificent job -- [applause] ..

[cheers and applause] and for continuing to support the past few years. i hope you have as much fun as we've had today. create the debate. use representation. you come from far and wide and it represented every single young person in the u.k. you've amplify the voices of nearly half a million young

people, promote democracy, but most importantly, you've got ideas, criticisms, opinions and most importantly our voices and you've definitely made them hard. duquesne, created five fantastic topics, subsequently leads to as having two new national campaigns next year. as i said, nearly 500,000 people voted to decide what we debated here today. collectively we've shown your people wanted ways, have a voice and most of port money are getting voices heard. thank you. [applause] >> kd, a thank you. in the name of fairness and of political impartiality, having noted the presence throughout the day, for the most part in

the chamber, but certainly on the estate of the master and of natasha, respectively from the conservative and later parties and must mention also the presence throughout the day from the start of our proceedings to their end of the liberal democrat member from wales, casaubon. -- tessa mond. [applause] i will in a moment just ran up the proceedings with them personal words of my own and i hope that will be understood. before i do so, i have been news for you in the form of the result -- i was going to see the votes because of course there were two balance. an ballot paper one, you are voting for year one evolved

issue. the england only issue. the figures are as follows. it curricula to prepare us for life. 136 votes. zero tolerance towards olean in schools. 42 votes. better work experience and career advice 115 votes. [applause] so your chosen issue with 136 votes is a curriculum to prepare us for life. [cheers and applause]

on ballot paper two, you were voting for one reserved. that is to say u.k. issue upon which you feel the youth parliament should campaign. the votes cast were as follows. combating youth unemployment. 76 votes. votes for 16 and 17-year-olds in all public elections. 217 votes. [cheers and applause]

[applause] so, with 217 votes, votes for 16 and 17-year-olds in all public elections has been chosen as a reserved campaign issue for the year. thank you for expanding your democratic right and indeed discharging your deity. you now know the results. many thanks have been expressed. i simply want to underline them because i think we say in society as a whole, thank you. it scarcely possible to say those words too often. so thank you to the teachers here present and the youth workers for the fantastic job it

done today and throughout the year. [cheers and applause] team your mac for all they do throughout the year as well as today to the british youth council. [cheers and applause] thank you to the sergeant of arms, lawrence ward and to the principal doorkeeper, robin fell. i know them both. i work with them both on a day-to-day basis and i know them both to be fantastic servants of the house and also very

importantly, leaders in this house. so i'm not surprised you think they've done a fantastic job. they always do. put your hands together. [applause] i want to thank very specifically and explicitly the clerks at the table. the clerks at the table who do an outstanding job are often the unsung heroes and heroines of this place a day today if you watch our proceedings, usually seem untrue think the most senior and delete. though i have over the last year, introduced an arrangement whereby moore junior, the raising clerks notably female clerks massively

underrepresented. men as well, raising clerks will be the stars of the future, the chance to serve at the table. what better opportunity than today to have them not just being part of the team, but being the team at the table. they do a fantastic job. they are brilliant servants of the house, vital to the functioning of our parliamentary democracy. please show your appreciation. [applause] thank you to the police cadets. [cheers and applause] thank you very importantly to our catering staff. [cheers and applause]

thank you from head and from the heart, to my own team. speaker secretary, peter barron, assistant secretary ian davis. my spokesperson justine mcguinness. i have a wonderful team who is defining essence a service before self. they don't particularly like to be acknowledged. they are not keen to be brought to the fore, but they are absolutely essential to the operation of the system, to me being in the right place and trying for the most part i hope with some success to doing the right thing. so please thank my team. [applause]

of course, i think with the most effusive enthusiasm parliamentary colleagues again. those here present, those who were here earlier today and indeed those who throughout the year interact with and offer their support and encouragement to their local youth parliament and youth parliamentarian. now, reference was made by the minister very appropriately, generously, but in no way overstating the case to the quality of the present generation, to the vitality and perhaps not the indispensability at the u.k. youth parliament. i echo what nick said and attributes articulated by natasha and which has been given

an expression by other people here present. some of you may have heard me say before that when it was first decided that the u.k. youth parliament should be able to make here on this chosen issue, it was a subject of controversy. i can't claim to speak for all colleagues. minorities have a right to be heard. there are colleagues who may still be less than wholly reconciled, but there are far fewer of them. it is overwhelmingly the case now that across the political spectrum, colleagues see why you should be here. they get it. was not always so. when i select a speaker, the intended arrangement in 2009 session is for the chairman of

ways and means and that the deputy speaker of the house she chaired the proceedings. i said to him, alan, you take the day off and spend the time in your constituency. i will take the chair. it wasn't in a spirit of self-importance that i said that. it was as a percent of passion for what you do and a sense of obligation to you. one of my parliamentary colleagues, who is no longer a member of this house or indeed of parliament at all came up to me, florida state finished data virtual apoplexy. he had opposed the idea that you should be allowed to meet and debate your issues here. and he said to me, in the shrillest terms that he understood it was my intention

to chaired the debates and i confirmed that it was. he said that meets are you, mr. speaker, sir, it will be and utter unmitigated disaster. i said i don't know what makes you say that. tell me your argument. there is quite a lot of pomposity keeshan by him. an appropriate word of the circumstances. i know that i'm talking about. i've been here a great deal longer than you if i may say so. i know what you were first elected. what i want to does with zero to me. eventually, after quite a lot of windbag kerry, he said you mark my words. if there's young people are allowed to come into this chamber to debate the issues, at the very least he said, at the very least, chewing gum will be left all over the chamber. and not the worst he said, you

mark my words mr. speaker, pen knives will be used in damage will be afoot good upon these benches which i love. and i said to him, look, i respect your right to hold your view. and i did respect you do, the fact that he confronted me so directly. didn't say behind my back. tell me candidly what i thought. but i said i have to say you, i am horrified and shocked by the way in which you have traduced a whole section of our population. i simply don't buy it for a moment. i am a big fan, i say to him, of these u.k. youth parliament, which is very diverse and much more representative of the population in many ways than the hoof com is. i believe that if we want to be

respected by young people, we may show some respect for young people. respect is not an automatic right of ours, but it earned entitlement. and i believe that if these people, to our chamber, he wrote be proud to come. they will speak well, they will hone their skills and they will behave at least as well as we do if not rather better. and i know it's never popular when one says to people, i told you so were i was right. but i hope you agree, colleagues, i was right on every account. [cheers and applause] so i don't regard it and i'm sure nick doesn't and natasha

doesn't and tessa doesn't, to give up time spent doing something else. i regarded as a privilege to be amongst her number. i enjoy coming to the annual meeting. this time round when i became speaker was in canterbury and the following year it was an all-star and belfast and then i think it was in leeds and nottingham and leads again. those are two very big and important pictures so far as i'm concerned as this critically all of the word that goes on throughout the year and the centrality and indispensability and growing political salient of our work has been underlined about what the minister has said today for which, in nick, i thank you for the bottom of my heart and what natasha also has said. representing the government on

the one side and very importantly the backbench business committee on the other, natasha says this is the only time she speaks from the dispatch box. please understand i intend no disrespect. the chair of the backbench business committee who speaks from the back benches is of absolutely political untruth pivotal figure in the house of commons. they both made it clear that it's not just a box exercise. the themes of the debates, the views he expressed, the passion which you've invested in our proceedings will be reflected in the follow-up work. i look forward to that work. i look forward to your continuation of directors. i look forward to many of you having future careers in politics and public service. i must tell you above all, i hugely look forward to the next u.k. youth parliament annual general meeting to which i hope i will be welcomed and i hugely look forward, because as far as

i know, i'm in good health to have been a privilege to share your proceedings began. thank you. [cheers and applause] order. >> today.your hassan tetteh discusses his book, "gifts of the heart" come a fictional story of a military doc during

afghanistan. the forward operating base. the day we arrived at the new surgical team to take over and our colleagues that are going to be leaving their. we saw first in the real casualties but i remember perfectly. it is a young marine who had been injured by an ied, a live explosive device. the young man -- i take one quick step back and say, you know, i wasn't kidding when i say berkeley was a formative place to grow up in. it was also a formative place to train. i thought i have seen average, possible. gunshot wins, stab wounds, explosive injuries even. motor vehicle accidents.

i felt very comfortable with my level of experience or trauma based on my book kings county experience and so forth. the first day that we were there it is so hard to describe because even though it did not ball to read for years before deploying and seeing individuals with the extremity injuries and prosthetics and some of them still undergoing the additional surgeries they need it, i hadn't seen that brought in real time right after occurred. that was what i saw upon arriving, you know, there was no delay. some of our colleagues were two other areas where they didn't see casualties for weeks or even months after being stationed. we thought the first day.

the nike says that he thinks no matter what it is. because i think you have to be political in a certain way. you have to be honest and you have to see this thing going. but still, you have to cater tlo peopleing. but still, you have to cater to people sometimes i think and know what they want and need to be able to influence info for you. it's not being dishonest. it is just finding out and letting them know how you can help with the problem of things they want.

>> the world is on fire. they're moving extremely fast. five to 10 years, the cloud is near, facebook is new. a lot of programming languages. historically what we've done is precise to minimize into forsyth is. what is the first five years and then they learned face next 25 years. a workspace and arresting face afterwards. what i think we should be doing is have more of the same thing. play, learn, work. the work mers so fast we can afford having any more. we really have to stay up to date.

>> now discussion on u.s. saudi relations and how the relationship has an effect to bed this year in civil war and around nuclear program. we will hear from academics who study the middle east and a former deputy national security adviser to george w. bush. from the hudson institute, this is an hour and a half. >> we are going to go for about an hour and a half. we're going to speak about 45 minutes to an hour and then open it at the end for questions than answers. thank you again for coming to hudson and thank you to our c-span on the end and thank you

for this wonderful panel with elliott abrams and brian katulis. elliott abrams was advisor for global democracy strategy during the george w. bush administration. he's currently a fellow for middle eastern studies at the council on foreign relations in the out there most recently attested by psion, the bush administration and the israeli-palestinian conflict. brian katulis is a senior fellow at the center for american progress where he focuses on the middle east and north africa. he's co-author about the robots for america and what we need in return. is also a couple articles by brian katulis on the side still available about brian's recent work on saudi arabia, which you also send in the meantime. i want mr. abrams to make a few comments and then brian will and then we'll have a discussion. thanks. >> thank you.

thank you off for being here today. i wanted to start by saying that some of the discussion of the u.s. saudi relations site inc. is over done, the sense of a hopeless crisis that will result in incurable differences. this is an old relationship. roughly 75 years old. ramco was founded in 1944 and there's been a lot of ups and downs. whatever the challenges today, think of 1973. the arab oil embargo, which is inactive for by the saudis against the united states or think of 2001. so, the relationship has been through crises. and survived them. and another positive point, the relationship is more sub roll,

thicker today than in many years in the past. there have been times i think when the relationship whiskey president. that is about it. you now have an institutionalized relation to. if the dhs saudi relationship. there's a treasury ministry of finance relationship. it doesn't depend on one or two individuals. obviously, the relationship is based to a very large chagrin oil, but even there, one should expand a little. there was an alliance during the cold war against the soviet union. there was an alliance after 1979 he could carry them. there is also an american appreciation over the last

decade of what i would call professional, reliable, saudi handling of oil as the world's swing oil supplier and as many by the saudi treasury and investment authorities. it has been an alliance of two very, very different societies. that can be hidden. i mean, if you are an american official, you know, dealing with foreign and your saud, crutcher depends to come you don't have the sense that you are dealing with someone who can navigate your culture. still, these are two very different societies when it comes to matters that religious freedom, political freedom, treatment of women. that is a growing problem. it wasn't a big problem for many decades.

we had a lot of allies that were very different societies and words some cases pretty much acted to dealerships starting with joseph stalin in world war ii. we went through a lot. and the cold war when the internal situation in a friendly country didn't matter to us. it matters more and more now as human rights values get, i hate this word, but globalized and as america pays over time, generally more attention to those questions. we no longer say well that's a different culture. i think that is going to be more important because what has been missing over the decade has been the saudi end of that. we heard from the royal family. we didn't hear for the people of saudi arabia. there is now. partly because of technology. twitter, blog posts.

now, the saudi people appear just a little data as actors. that's got to increase, it seems to me. that will increase over years when saudi oil is less important to because of all of these transfers north american energy and ends. one would have to send the saudi influence would decline rather. there is obviously a crisis of confidence here today over serious, egypt and particularly over your ram. i think the saudi's have relied on it 1979 to be in a confrontation with the rand. and we have been. they are very worried about the united states may decide not to be in a confrontation with iran. of course, our views on iran are fundamentally different from theirs. there probably is this is a powerful, persian, shia country. our problem is that the islamic

republic. if it were a democratic u.n., our problems would largely disappear. but it's not at all clear societies problems would disappear. we go back to that. i would just add one other thing. the crisis that we are having in relations now, the lack of good communication, which i think can partly be blamed on the mr. sheen. but of course, several of the top people of saudi arabia are very old and sick. having the kind of relationship we had 10 years ago, 15 years ago, would be far more difficult today. saudi arabia may enter a succession crisis. the king is over 90 and nodding at health and is apparently in worse health. if you look at the statistics, we make it a es