encourage the kind of laziness that kills young people later in life? the elderly have lived a long time and deserve free transport to get around. children are already charge less than adults on the bus. don't people do not need, nor they deserve, free transport -- don't people. -- younger people. >> of what you to understand that large numbers thatmp's from all parts have stayed here because they want to hear you. that is evidence of the

commitment that parliament feels. >> is it fair that young people who are non legal to drive have to pay for public transport, when those over 60 can drive? is it right the young people are restricted by law to the amount of hours they can work have to depend on public transport? the definition of young people from the united nations' european conditivention -- in scotland, the government introduced a national plan for young people giving them free shares. i believe it is not on foreign of people -- it has not gone far

enough. i come from an area where young people rely on public transport heavily. why should young people be so financially disadvantage when compared to other young people who live in more urban areas? in the scottish borders, [unintelligible] a lot of my friends simply do not have enough money to pay for the bus fare. it should not come down to how much money a young person has or how much they live to access the services. they should not be a barrier for transportation. to see young people who do not

receive a comparable minimum- wage. surely in the united kingdom we pride ourselves on being a fair and equal society. why should a 16-year-old have to pay able fair when a pensioner, who has life savings and a car does not have to pay bus fare? this is simply wrong. every young person between 15 and 25 -- i propose that all young people in the u.k. be given free access to public transport. [applause]

>> the young lady there. >> 3 transport is an issue that really affects me in my local area. i really tried my best. the message i have got is that as a body of young people, we are not going to be able to do this on a national scale. i urge every single person in this room to take this matter deep into your own constituency. as an individual, you can make a difference, and we can unite and do this together. thank you. [applause] >> the young man in the corner of the front bench. >> earlier it was brought up the

issue of public transport making people more lately. a yacht -- a lot of youth clubs are arranged physical activities for a young people to do, but people cannot take part in these because they cannot get to the places that arranged them, because they cannot afford bus fares. >> i commute every day by two to london to my workplace. there recently raised -- fairs were recently raised. one of the letters are read in the newspaper said one cannot we cut concession fares? people are wondering why is it

that our air stayed low while there's are skyrocketing? we have such good will from the public on so many issues. i think there are risking this, and we are going to sacrifice that if we make unreasonable demands like having three transport, would simply is not affordable in the current climate. -- having free transport. >> young people work in school to get grades. these grades to get jobs. the yupiks jobs to put money into the economy, and then they become pensioners. they cannot do anything else to put money into the economy. we work hard to get the jobs, so surely free transport to get to school to make money to put into the economy is the least the government can do. >> members of the its

parliament, i want you to know that the importance of this issue to current young people in the united kingdom, everyday people suffer, not being able to afford transport to where they need to go. comments were made about contributing to the economy, and therefore deserving concessionary fares. it is easy to say that you can hop into a car for your friends or your parents, but why isn't it easy for the government to make public transport easy for young people? >> mr. speaker, as young people, we seem to want

everything and everything for free. we come in and say we want free university and free transport. members of society who are over 60 might have fought in the war. they have urged their free travel. we have -- we want to be fair. let's the burly honest, what have we done? -- let's be brutally honest, what have we done? it is the truth. it is about time we stood here and tell the truth. >> i want to take somebody from northern ireland. can i ask you to go to the dispatch box, because otherwise your speech will not be picked up.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. i find this situation slightly baffling. everyone in northern ireland, if you live more than a couple of miles away from school, has the right to a free bus pass. i take it that is not available to people in england, scotland, and whales? is that london wonderful? [applause] i am not trying to insult london, it is wonderful. [applause] the point i was trying to make, northern ireland, if we can do

that for our young people, promote social mobility, stop truancy, it is a very rural society. people tend to travel along than perhaps people do in england. if we can do that, then surely you can do that here in england and scotland and wales. >> in addition to the names i have already mentioned, we are joined by a labor member from mansfield. >> i personally think london is really lucky. i would love to have free transport, but the realistic thing is is probably never going to happen. i would like to think we can have the opportunity to try and

have it, or even lower the fees. even if we had -- if we are still going to university, it would help us in the long run and save us much more money. >> thank you very much indeed. let me take the gentleman with the silver tie. >> i paid 250 pounds for a bus passed last year, and i was late for college once. i got told to move closer to college. five people in a car, 50 people

on the bus. >> my point is very short period i spoke too young people about the whole concession issue. they say they are happy to give up their concession pass if they have the funds available so that young people can have the chance for a free transportation. >> public transport is a growing issue for my constituents, and i believe it is important that public transport is free for over '60s and not for young people. my constituents and i travel long distance with public

transport to receive a better education. we have to pay on a weekly basis to receive a better education. the government needs to identified that this is a growing issue for young people. thank you very much. >> a scheme where young people do not have to pay until they are 18 is realistic. in an area like i represent, cost is only one of the many factors preventing young people from using public transport. young people said in a survey that they would like to use public transport for environmental reasons. this morning a youth worker woke up at 5:00 and there were only to strain it -- to trains going into town.

we urgently need to improve rural as well as urban transport. >> along with young people in my constituency, i believe that young people should have concessionary travel. 60% of people, visit the -- could not afford transport. a girl in my area said she spent 21 pounds getting in to london for a school trip when she already had paid 20 pounds for the trip itself. 39% of 16-24-year-old cannot afford to pay these ridiculous prices. with regard to the environment, it is much better for them.

if the government wants to reduce carbon emissions, they really need to consider this. >> i would like to announce that by making public transport free, they are not convincing people to be slack and take the bus. instead we are convincing them to get off their x box and get out of the house. the liberal democratic party and the conservative party want to put in 16.4 billion pounds a new high-speed rail. we are promoting to used to use this service, to use it so that

co2 levels in britain can be lowered, rather than using private transport. >> today we have heard the reasons for and against what young people should have free public transport. that is not to say that people aged 60 and above should not be entitled to free transport. at the nyp from the southwest, free transport to get them to school to then make money will help the school, so surely this is a good thing. many older people can no longer drive. -- isolated areas and rural

areas, public transportation is the only way to get to areas that art and accessible. things that we use every day, these are all in interest to age groups and available to those who live in large cities, but not rural areas. we heard someone say he paid 250 pounds to get to school, but then to be late. why is he paying this much, when he cannot actually get there on time? yet the government, the general public, and the media continue to hang up -- complaint about young people hanging on the street corners. facilities are open at times that young people can access and places they can get with free

public transport. what have young people done to deserve republic transport? maybe they cannot get to places to volunteer and help because of public transport is not reliable. many young people still have to pay to its in higher education, and the prices are high, and it is unfair. if the young people want to go to different colors in their local 1, then they cannot get free public transport is the local college offers the same course. the young people of the uk today are calling for the government's to provide free transport to young people. why should a young person in sussex they concessionary tax

when other young people do not? why should people over 60 be given free transport when we are not? to give young people that would not win any party any votes, but to give it to the older generation does. [applause] >> that concludes the morning session. the parliament will now adjourn until 1:30, and i invite people to return to westminster hall for lunch.

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] if parliament will consider the fourth motion of the day relating to the economy as printed on the order paper. just before we get under way with the front bench speeches moving the motion, i would just like to put in a plea. when we come to the general debate, please stand or otherwise indicate your wish to speak, only if you have not already spoken. there are a lot of people who want to get in, so it would not be fair for some people to speak twice and others not to speak at all. this afternoon, i am afraid i will have to be a bit tough and say that the back bench speeches

must be no more than a minute, so we get as many people in as we possibly can. i hope you enjoy your lunch, and we are looking forward to the next debate on the economy. >> the first debate is on capitalism in the economy and job opportunities for young people. is it time for a more inclusive economic system to take hold? what can we do to increase job opportunities for young people? >> is everyone here knows, job opportunities or an issue for many adults, especially in the current economic crisis. the one group that tends to be forgotten are the young people today. whether in college or university or employed or unemployed, there

are less opportunities for people to get part-time or seasonal jobs. this affects people who have no or little income. young people are in one of the worst position is that ever been end once they have left full- time education. i ask you, what hope do we have after leaving full-time education? i propose to you all here today that there is not enough being done to support the young people of today and searching for a job. apprenticeships this allows them to develop necessary job skills. even those taking part in these programs are not guaranteed a

job after the training is finished. even if you take time to invest in your future, you are still very unlikely to get hired in the profession you have been trained for. we all know there are job opportunities available, however it is not easily accessible to find these opportunities. we are in direct competition addition with older, more experienced competitors, making that much harder for young people to get a job. after young people have attended higher education, there are not enough jobs for these skilled people, and we are -- education is becoming a passageway into a well educated, unemployed area for young people. that is why so many talented and bright young people are being left with nothing but their

education that will not get them a job. >> my region has the second- highest youth unemployment in the country. 22.6% of young people are out of work. an important industry is shedding jobs. the economic crisis is real. unemployment is a serious problem for my area. youth unemployment in september stood at 946,000. they have been let down by institutions. i did not believe we should be so pessimistic. the figures for september were lower than expected, although that is little consolation for

those without a job. it does give us reason to think that the efforts made by both business and government are working to some extent. there are 11 areas with government-backed funding who are trying different approaches to get young people back into training. they are offering a diverse range, giving people qualifications to get into the workplace. there many examples of the private sector providing help and training to make sure that young people are recession- proof. other employere pledging support include microsoft and others. i do not think many people are

in favor of reckless banking. i greek that -- i do not think the answer is the acquisition of private property. through individuals, businesses, and government providing jobs and opportunities for people. we must never get complacent or dogmatic or underestimate the mystery of unemployment, or abandon a whole generation. there is reason to be optimistic about the job market. a huge amount is being done to provide young people with training, educational, and job opportunities. thank you. >> one of the regions under estimated -- underrepresented in the debate this morning is the east midlands.

>> i live in a very rural area with very few areas to go and find work. even in our town, finding work is very difficult. finding jobs for young person -- there is a big sign on the window saying full-time staff only. it is going to be difficult to assault the lack of jobs -- to solve the lack of jobs until the economy strengthens. in particular, i would like to focus on the investment in apprentice ships. it is a good place for young people to train in a place of work. many young people have hoped to get a british ships, and they are generally not available.

-- to get apprenticeships. >> we have been joined by andrew mckinley. thank you for your support. we also have a liberal democrat member front montgomery. [applause] another underrepresented region this morning is the northwest. >> young people have got to be given or at least have a chance to earn the opportunity of having a job, especially in the economic climate we are in.

through no fault of ours, there will be less job opportunities for young people. my point is that more emphasis has got to be put on job opportunities for young people. we are the future, as has been said before. it has to come from the government. it is not our fault. it has to be addressed, job opportunities for young people. thank you. [applause] another underrepresented region this morning is wales. >> someone mentioned earlier that there needs to be more apprenticeships created.

people are completing three years of a course in coming out with no experience and no hope of finding jobs. who wants to employ someone who has no experience in the real world? >> thank you very much for that all contribution. >> the young lady in the back. >> a few years ago, the unemployment rate for 24-year- old with a bus worst degree was 20%. we are coming out of recession, but employees need to give incentives to train young people.

. . >> at what point does this become discrimination against young people? this experience that we keep talking about, it comes not only from within, but with feeling responsible for what you do. it is hard for young people to get work experience because it

is getting to the point where we cannot even get work experience. >> thank you. ok, this young man with braces. yes? >> i would just like to say that i think it is not capitalism, it is communism. mao killed many of its people, pulled pot killed one-third of its population. -- pulled pot killed one-third of its population. the ideology works, but it does not work in writing. thank you. >> the young lady in the back. >> basically, the word i want to give you today is progress. if we do not have progress, we

cannot continue to get out of recession. people are not getting jobs because they do not have experience. people are not employing them without experience, that means they also cannot progress without experience. by building experience, we can progress. if communism, as he was saying, it will inhibit any opportunity of progression and we will hit this brick wall and young people will not get jobs if we do not continue . >> thank you, the young man in the black with the great pull over. >> my point is is not the employers to employ young people. i think young people personally are not doing enough to go out there and make the effort to actually address this. i am not as experienced, i do not have all that experience, but i am willing to learn.

i will start at the bottom and work up. a lot of people gain experience and that is what young people need to do. >> thank you. >> my name is joe lanham. i am from london. a lot of people cannot even get a job. it is important for families who are in desperate need for money. they are not getting the money to go to university, the money to travel. we need the money. sometimes it seems the only option is crime. if we are going to reduce the crime rate, we desperately need to give children the opportunity to work. if we want experience, we have to go where the experience is. connections is not enough and cannot take over all.

>> thank you very much. right behind you. yes, you. >> catherine, eastern region. i agree with the young lady from wales. she is right, the training and college, if he took apprentices, it is so much more useful to go into the company and then they get the experience. that is what we have to be looking to do. companies cannot afford to take them on any more. they're getting product placement, but not work placement. >> thank you very much, this young man here. >> i am ben smith from the southwest. i think we have identified today the work issues and university issues.

i think we cannot give anything for free. >> thank you. i am from the southeast. every child who was born today already owes 2,000 pounds because of the government at this present time. i do not feel the way that the government has handled it has failed us because this generation and the next generation has it. >> now i think it is time we had someone from scotland. thank you. the young man in the blue shirt. >> we talk about education, and that needs funding, and i am all for young people being treated this way. we know that young people who train and educate themselves do not always get into the field they want to. they get graduates. the young people to train themselves, they cannot get into

these desired professions. young people do not get jobs because they did not try hard enough. every single day, we fill out applications, every single day we look for jobs. [applause] >> i will take the young lady here, but can i make a plea for someone from northern ireland if they want to speak in the debate? if not, never mind. >> i would just like to say that i have friends and relatives who are not able to find jobs after going to university. if these people cannot find jobs, what is the use of people who do not have experience

finding a job? >> thank you. the young man in the back. >> the main issue is not the skills available, it is the economy itself. we need more elected officials to govern the economy so we have more structure base with more jobs available. >> thank you. i would like to take the woman at the end of the third row back. with the green pullover. yes? >> i am from west midlands. if you refuse communism, it does not work, as we have seen with china and cuba. in regards to people of our age trying to get work, it is not that we do not have the experience or want to work, they

do not want us to work. if they refuse to let you over the barrier to get work, how we get anywhere? >> thank you. ok, we will take the young man and the second row at the back. >> daniel harper. many people think the things we do not have our skills and experience. we have a lack -- i live in a population where there is not job opportunities. many of the people in that rural areas cannot get places where they can get a job. >> thank you. ok, the young lady, second row in the back. i met this young lady here, on

the top. >> i actually believe that, yes, there are not enough jobs, but i prefer my parents to have a job instead of me. so if there are jobs, i would much rather my mom and dad have a job. i also think because there are not enough jobs, people should be more enterprising. there are ways to make money. i also believe that money is not everything. even though we need money to get by, there is a volunteer worker. i know a lot of people have the degree and the education, but they're not able to get jobs. at my age, 18, i am far more employable than some of my family members who are educated with a degree. i think young people should not entirely focus on getting jobs and should focus on being more

enterprising. >> thank you. ok, the young man here. have you spoken before? please go ahead. >> i would just like to come to the idea and a lot of people said, we mentioned capitalism and progress, communism does not work, capitalism is so obviously working brilliantly. [laughter] when one in three children in this country live in poverty and this is a third world country, how can you say the system is working? the inequality is rising, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. how can that possibly get accepted that it is ok? what we need is to look -- sorry. what we need is to take it back to a democratic level and grass roots level and what we want and the community.

market forces are not human. how can they possibly know what we want and need? >> thank you very much. the young lady here? >> manual professions tend to be better paid and male-dominated. girls need to be encouraged to learn the manual trades. traditionally female jobs should be better paid as well. >> i think the young man at the end, with the red tie and black shirt. >> i am from yorkshire. recently, 946 people are unemployed. i think volunteer placement is a great place to get experience for the interviews, which is what companies are looking for. i think the government should

put more funding into allowing hundreds of thousands, if they wanted it, volunteer places around the country. they need the experience. >> thank you very much, indeed. the blonde lady who thought she was being called a few moments ago? >> i am from the northwest. i think we need to help the young people and increase the independence and make things more reliable. also, if young people have more jobs, they will be able to get more money and therefore it will be easy for them to get places with companies. thank you. >> we are still a bit short on people from the east midlands. anybody want to contribute? east midlands? yes, please. >> just referring back to the

people who say that young people need the skills to work and we need to give them opportunities. where i come from, it is a mining background. our area has been boogered because the only things we can do is getting jobs by getting on a bus. who universities, we need the opportunity to get there. we need colleges on the street, we need the actual opportunity to get colleges, to give them a wide range of jobs. for me, i will be going into the armed forces said in -- i will be going into the armed forces soon, and i have to work my behind off because of my background. it is not all done in the community, it is also your

parents because they support you in any way possible. you also have your friends to support you as well. >> thank you very much. i think the word "boogered" is in-parliamentary. -- is un-parliamentary. >> capitalism clearly is not working. we cannot be capitalists without money. as also picked up by many of my colleagues, the practice ships are extremely -- the apprentice ships are extremely successful training people, but a friend of mine recently was an apprentice and finds himself unemployed. the governoment needs to make

sure that we have very many jobs available for people in manual skills labor. >> thank you very much. this young lady here. >> when people do apprenticeships, they do not have as much responsibility to spend the money. they bring back the jobs because they have a house and mortgage and children to look after. if more young people get these jobs, these other people will not have them. >> thank you. i am afraid we have to move to the windups speech right now.

>> good afternoon, mr. speaker. i represent kingston. each and everyone of us sitting in this chamber today has been directly or indirectly affected by the current economic situation. due to the mistakes made in the past, we smelled the stench of unemployment. this needs to change and it needs to change today. 11 areas may have government funding, but what about the others? this needs to be improved upon and it needs to reach out to more people. one is promised apprenticeships, and we are asking for it to happen. young people are in one of the worst if not the worst situation they have ever been an. barack obama has turned around and said young people will be the most affected by the current economic climate. if america sneezes, europe catches a cold.

it is more like we have caught the flu. seriously, everyone is affected. we will go on being affected by this for a long time. in the future, we will have high taxes, not better health care or schooling or policing, not anything that will benefit us. we will pay for the mistakes of the past. we will basically be paying for the bonuses of the bankers who got us into this situation in the first place. this is why we need to vote for this debate. trust me, we need all the help we can get. this leads me to apprenticeships and training. please tell me how young people is supposed to find themselves living alone perhaps in london while taking part in one of these things. please in light me as to how they will find themselves with no income? how are they supposed to get by? it makes me -- these other questions that a lot of young people are asking themselves.

we will create a. thisships, volunteer opportunities. we will create apprenticeships and volunteer opportunities but we only go if we need to go. we are asking for the government to change this. there is no point having things like that emplace if they are not accessible to the people who need them. in these tough times, we need to stand united as one and together we can make a difference. we are sitting here as representatives of the young people in our constituencies, representatives of the young people in our regions, representatives of the thousands of being young people -- the thousands of young people across the u ca.k. we need to vote for this debate. please vote for us later and make the case today for the young people tomorrow. thank you. [applause]

>> tessa, thank you for that forceful and impassioned windup speech that i think was enjoyed by everybody present, and i like to wincongratulate everybody one first class speeches, and i appreciate, too, the way in which people adjusted and made short speeches, which was very considerate. it meant that we got more people in then we would otherwise. the youth parliament will now considered the fifth and last motion today, relating to lowering the voting age to 16 as printed in the paper. i call mr. james' evans to move the motion. james? >> thank you, mr. speaker. our young people engaged with the world around them?

do young people want a say in the decisions that affect their everyday lives? are we not sitting in the house of commons today, discussing, debating, voting on these very issues? our opponents question whether we are informed enough to change the vote to 16. are we mature enough to vote at 16. well, we are mature enough to leave home, to go out to work, to pay our taxes, we can marry are m.p., sleep with our m.p., and have children with our m.p. [applause] we can sign up in preparation to fight for and potentially die for our m.p. and suddenly we are not mature enough to vote for them.

what an absolute disgrace. [applause] it is time for parliament to get its priorities right. it is time for westminster to wake up. 16 years of age, a time when many young people will be mapping out the rest of their lives. if young people are ready to commit themselves to society, society must be ready to commit itself to young people! [applause] for every overblown story on youth crime or rubbish behavior, there are performance -- are fantastic performances, a team of young volunteers at a hospital or just young people across the country helping the all-important institution we call family. there is a time to give these young people they say, a time to give young people everywhere a voice, a time to give young people to vote, and that time is

now! [applause] >> well, that is as powerful a speech as i have heard in a long time. thank you very much for that. i call for someone to second the motion. >> dave james not make a good speech? does that -- is that not make you want to agree to allow a 16- year-old to vote? did you not come here today with a preconceived idea that is not fair that 16-year-old get to vote? i urge you to listen carefully to what i have to say. think and say no or be led astray. the right to vote is being handed to us without real consideration. think about why politicians want to give us the vote.

because we are mature and attentive, anti-social, because they want to indoctrinate us. getting -- giving the vote to 16-year-old is pointless. we need education to go with it. it a huge percentage of the population have the right to vote don't. a hugask yourself why. surely it is because they do not understand the system or the control. those who do have had no compulsory education in democracy or politics. if we as a people are to understand democracy, you must have education. the government's control are living in some are compulsory. well, let's make democracy compulsory. just before we are 16, i use the analogy of a ball.

everybody gets a chance to play ball in school. not everybody likes it. some sit and watch. others play for established teams or support them. the point is they have been introduced to the ball. however, do not be hypocritical of loss. we are able to make our own decisions and have our own opinions, which is why we are here today. you should not start trying to attract younger voters in isolation. we deserve to be treated equally. as we have received the right, then we will be able to vote in reality. let's make democracy and politics the ball. i would hasten to add not foreign politics. if enough young people like the ball, they will find for themselves which team that wants to support. the key to all of this is education. without which, the vote at 16 is

pointless. we will fail to utilize it properly. i hope that you will rethink the idea that you entered with today and decide what is not just best for you but all the young people. we deserve better. [applause] >> thank you very much for that speech. i am appealing again to anyone from northern ireland who would wish to speak? please approached the microphone. very short speeches, because a lot of people want to take part. >> i am from northern ireland. i think at 16, you are more a grant and more likely to be. you are more ignorant and more likely to be indoctrinated into extremist parties. >> thank you very much.

ok, can we now have someone from london? the young man in the back. thank you. >> lowering the voting age it is a major issue in a big concern for young people. they feel frustrated at the lack of representation which appears to change anything to them. i would question giving them to vote simply because the main issue is not based around the voter but who you voted for. who is it that makes the decision for the voter or who you voted for? therefore, it is necessary that young people not only be allowed to vote, but give themselves a reasonable chance. and not just don't politics for their own gains. >> thank you very much, indeed.

in the back, yes. >> can i just say to all the people on the room, you have been given a fantastic opportunity. as you well know, we cannot all vote in the election and be part of the u.k. youth parliament. >> thank you very much. i want to take the young lady in the second row, back. you. >> everyone in this room was politically involved. just take a moment to think about all of those people who drop out of school. those of the ones to complain about this, but they do not know enough to vote at 16. yes, we should have that vote, but let's inform all those

people before they make a vote on something so important to us and should be so import to everyone else. at least then and two years' time, more people will be voting. that is why people do not vote now. they did not know who to vote for and why. >> thank you very much. the young man and the back to wanted to contribute. please. >> voting at 16 or not. some 16-year-olds know about politics. some do not. >> thank you. you do. the young man and the fourth row back. with the red checkered shirt. >> my region would not be seated

in the european elections. the reasons to only be political education. very few of us here actually get to vote in the european election, and we have all been educated in politics, at least briefly. a year ago i wanted to take history but there was not enough seat and i got into politics instead. a proper political education is needed for everyone. >> thank you very much. the young lady and the back, with strawberry blond, ginger hair. >> i am from essex, east england. young people today are not all

that interested in politics at 16. we are a minority, and i do not think a significant amount of people are interested enough in politics. at 16, it does not make that much difference. >> thank you very much. ok, the young man, second row, in the back, what the gray suit. yes. -- with the gray suit. yes. am i am from scotland. -- >> i am from scotland. [unintelligible]

>> thank you very much, indeed. the young lady, the third row back. >> i am from the northwest. you could join the army, seeking get married, when you are 16. young people can fight for our country and they should have a say in which way things turned. i believe that 16 would be able to focus. if we have to pay taxes, we should have the ability to vote. if they keep the age at 18, we should not have to pay taxes until we are 18 and we can vote. >> thank you. >> david, from bexley.

we are 16, and we can vote. we can vote in the u.k. youth parliament. you could vote in the u.k. youth parliament until your 18, then you can vote in the main parliament. we can already vote. >> thank you very much. ok, the young lady here. >> i am from southeast. one of the main reasons the general public is against lowering the voting age is because they say young people are not interested enough in politics. however, what we are doing here purse that people actually are interested in politics. people say that maturity is an issue when voting, but why

shouldn't it be our choice who runs the country? why shouldn't we have the vote and say who runs the country? >> anybody from the southwest want to take part? yes, young man and the check shirt. >> thank you. i'm just wondering, people say young people not informed enough were interested enough, but how many adults are interested enough or informed enough? [applause] >> that speech has the huge advantage of brevity. thank you. [laughter] yes, the young lady. >> hi, i am from hertfordshire. i would like to say that the more pressing issue is the desire and the need for political education, as some of

my fellow m.p.'s have mentioned. i think should be introduced before we tackle the issue. only then will young people be able to make informed decisions and keep current and take part in the political process. thank you. >> thank you. we have not had anybody in this debate from the east. the young lady there, yes? yes, yourself. don't worry, i will try to get you. >> thank you. i represent nottingham shirer. government action affects young people as much as they affect adults. i think young people care about politics, and we have seen that today. many young people who say they did not care about it are interested in issues like global warming, taxes, things like that. we should lower the voting age 16 and combine that with political education in schools

so that young people are informed and to make a decision. >> thank you. someone from northwest midland? yes, one person who has been trying for ages is the young lady, blonde hair, right in the back. somebody from west midlands? the young man here? >> we are not mature enough? in the words of my grandfather, m.p.'s are not mature enough to represent. i will not drawing things on notes. we're doing things that many m.p.'s failed to do, apparently. we're passionate about young

people. m.p.'s only want what they want, they are there to vote for themselves. >> my name is emily from darbyshire. i was at a rally, and i was horrified to find how many people are taking part in this. i agree that we are educated enough to make a stand in politics, but we need to be careful we did not get swamped with m.p.'s. >> thank you very much indeed. the young man here. >> morley, age 16 is the right thing to do. as i said before, at age 16, he can join the army, get married,

have children, moved out on the run, and pay taxes. -- move out on your own, and pay taxes. this would be a step in the right direction. >> one young lady who is literally thirsting to speak, in the second row, and the back. >> i represent whales. voting at the age of 16 is already happening. we are already voting, thousands already voting. the school council, youth council, parliament. over 27,000 young people voted to elect six members in essex. the turnout was higher in the youth parliament election than the government election. who says that young people do not want to vote? [applause] >> thank you.

now, let's take the young man here. please. >> i am from the southeast. i think we live in a time where you can get very cynical with politics. as a result, vote turnout is very low. it would be a great thing if we open up the voting age to a new group of young people. >> thank you. ok, the young man, second row from the back. the second from the end, the blue cardigan. yes, you, sir. >> democracy is founded upon equality. regardless of your intelligence, you can vote. in the isle of man, the 16-year- old were given the right to

vote. surely we should follow these examples. >> the young lady in the back, far corner, who was not from west midlands, but who wants to speak, please? >> i am from the northwest. >> that is all right, thank you. the young man in the red shirt. >> james, from london. we have watched countless amounts of time, no taxation without representation. if we can be taxed, we ought to be allowed to vote, and that is all that matters. thank you. >> thank you. the people who are standing who have not spoken before? >> i am from the southeast. i want to say that i agree with

everyone voting at 16. you need to know who you are voting for. in the end, it or controversial issues in politics. they need to know who they are voting for. in the end, if it goes to us, we vote for the government. surely, if we want to have the vote and have change properly, we need to have the vote and know who we are voting for. >> thank you. >> the decisions that politicians make are about the future. 16-year-olds are the future, and therefore it makes sense for them to be able to vote. >> thank you very much. the young man with ginger hair.

>> i am from the northwest. i ask this question and a lot of times when i come in contact with people in politics, and they tend to give me the answer that you need to vote with an educated mind. why do they think that people aren't that naive and why -- why did they think that people are that naive? it is not a problem with the people, it is a problem with the government system. i don't want to learn science. but i still gets taught it. i doubt i will ever use it. >> thank you. thank you very much, indeed.

ok, the young man here, the white t-shirt. >> i am from southwest. i think before you vote, you need to be educated on what you are voting for. >> thank you very much. the young man, second row, back. yes. >> i am from newcastle. i have been one of the youngest here. we all have to stay in compulsory education until 18, and i do not see a point and having a vote if you are still and compulsory education. i think younger people are more vulnerable to propaganda, and we did not want that.

i know there are people passionate about politics and who want to vote, but they are exceptions. we do not legislate for exceptions. young people can drive safely and be drunk, but we cannot legislate for them. we legislate for the majority. >> anyone from your sure who would like to speak? there has been a shortage. -- anyone from your shire, who would like to speak? yes, please. >> people do not vote at 18, so why would it 16-year-olds do it? most do not vote because they're not interested. >> ok, we are running short of time. the young lady in the back. >> i don't understand how we are all here today, and i am 13, and

when i get to 16, i cannot vote, but i mature enough to sit in the house of commons and have a debate. >> thank you very much. the young man right here, waiting for some time. yes. >> thank you, mr. speaker. 40 years ago, it was this continent that change the voting age to 18. we have heard about australia lowering the vote to 16. let's all join together and vote together. thank you. >> thank you very much, indeed. the young man with the red tie. yes, thank you. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i am from the west midlands. i feel that we cannot ask young people to make an informed decision when voting.

would we be happy -- i feel that we cannot ask young people to make an un informed decision when voting. we have to put this into context. the nazi party used people's fears and the great depression, the economic crisis, speaking to the impressionable, and they rose in just four years. to be a true democracy, we need to educate young people on politics and allow them to make an informed decision. we must have education and politics to achieve this, and i urge everybody to support the value of the vote, the political education campaign. that is the first that in getting the vote at 16. >> i now call mr. joe bennett to conclude the debate. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

>> order. >> we have been trying to get representation through the debate. however, i like to point out that we're not regions. scotland, northern ireland, and whales are not regions. therefore, it makes england much more represented. >> one at a time. >> what we should have been doing, i feel like i have been on a roller coaster the last couple of debates, and i feel like instead of looking for representatives from other

regions, we need to be looking for representation. >> thank you, i will respond. hopefully, you will understand if i take one more point of order, and then we must proceed. point of order. >> the member who has just spoken, scotland had a speaker in that debate, as has every region. if you have not been following the procedure of allowing every reason to speak, please let me speak, it is my turn this time. >> can i start by thanking the speaker who raced the first point of order? i appreciate the fact he has done so. what i like to say is it is not perfect. we can always do better. i am genuinely sorry if there

are some people who wanted to speak, which there will inevitably have been, who might not have been able to. the second point is that i absolutely accept the status of the nation of the united kingdom. no aspersion has been cast, no insult is intended, no disrespect by me from the chair is felt. i am sorry that people feel they have not had the fullest opportunity, but what i can say as a matter of not opinion but fact is that speakers throughout the u.k. have been called. there have been in the course of the debate at least eight speakers from scotland. that is a matter of fact. the record is very clear. there have been speakers from northern ireland.

there have been speakers from wales. i have tried really hard to ensure that every area had a chance. i worked very hard to ensure that just as many women are able to speak as men. i wanted to ensure that people from all minorities, british ethnic minority committees have contributed. i wanted to be able to make sure that people with disabilities had a chance to contribute. it it might not have been as good as we want. i am open to improvement, because i am in perfect, but i have done my best. -- because i am not perfect, but i have done my best. [applause]

i like you more, minute by minute. [laughter] i wish we had joint house of commons on a daily basis. i will look very briefly take this one last point of order, but i just want to wind up. it >> i just want to inform the chair there are three representatives for the british forces, and there is a wide nation out there that is under- represented and would like to put their voice out. >> that is a very important point, and i respect it, and we should never forget the people who in the greatest spirit of patriotism and sacrifice are putting their lives on the line. in the interest of the freedom and security of the rest of us. i know a number of their children and the young people are represented here today, and i respect that. i feel we have run out of time. i like to ask mr. joe bennett to

wind up the debate. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i think we all agree with that. today we have heard arguments from both sides. although we in this room are directly involved in politics, not everyone our ages. alas, neither are all the people who are of the current voting age of 18. it surely includes the right to vote. however, the opposition argues that we young people are notorious for misusing these. we paid the price for democracy through taxation. but do we want the responsibility of learning, researching, and voting for our government? to make what we define as a good decision, we need information and education, perhaps. more importantly, we need the right to a decision.

this matter is controversial because it questions the rights of young people aged 16 and the role of young people, the role of people in this room today, as our role in democracy. democracy is the backbone of our country. it is the soul of our nation, and the heart of this very organization. it is because of this that i urge you that we take this matter forward and ask for constitutional reform on the subject. it is my personal belief and of a political geologist -- of a political sociologists, you need the benefit of democracy. i think all in this room today value the opportunity we have been given, the right to have our voice in this room today, and that all of us appreciate democracy. it is a democracy that put his campaign forward. thank you.

[applause] >> ok one last point. joe, thank you for the serious- minded way that you wound up last of five. quite outstanding today. >> i represent the southeast. i would just like to say thank you to all the m.p.'s who voted overwhelmingly for us to be debating here for the first time. it without them, we would not be here. without them, the people of britain would not know exactly what we're trying to do to benefit the young people. [applause] >> please? >> again, scotland, welsh, irish

people, we have the united kingdom youth parliament. we need a voice as well in scotland, ireland, wales. >> thank you very much indeed. as you probably know, we have to remain impartial between members of one party and another and those who sit as independents. there is also the case that the speaker does not knowingly become embroiled in controversy on political issues. i would not now vote in divisions in the house of commons or express opinions about what i now think about issues of contention. but what i can say as a point of

order that was raised, when activision took place in march of this year, -- when activision took place in march of this year on whether to use parliament should be allowed to vote here, i voted for your right to debate here because i thought it was the right and proper thing to happen. i think we feel vindicated today. [applause] before winding up, i feel i must move on. i just wanted to welcome one other colleague here today. i tried to name the many colleagues who have taken the concern up, but i want to welcome my parliamentary colleague, my dear neighbor from buckingham, dr. phillips. please hold your hand up. thank you for coming. [applause] members of parliament, i am

advised that the total number of m.p.'s who have spoken is at least 109, so i think we have done well. that concludes the debate for today. we will choose which of the five that was debated today will be the campaigning priority in the coming year. all members have an opportunity to vote once for their chosen subject by means of secret ballot. those of you on my right should leave the chamber by the door behind me and turn left into the lobby behind you. if you go out there and go left, that way. wait a minute. let me just finish explaining the procedure. i am glad that your enthusiastic to vote. that is a great start. those on my left should leave by the door at the far end -- sorry, far end and turn left

into the lobby behind you. in the lobby, you will be given a ballot paper with the five debate subjects listed. you should place a cross by the one that you believe to be the most important, and then place the paper in the ballot box at the end of the lobby. after you vote, please return to your place in the chamber. members of the house of commons staff will be on hand to assist you. the division lobbies are now open. thank you. colleagues, you'll be pleased to know that we have the results. and the votes cast were as follows. university education being free

, 56 votes. [applause] youth crime and how to tackle it, 34 votes. [applause] 54 votes. job opportunities for young people, 62 votes. lowering the voting age, to 16, 107. [applause] members of the youth parliament,