Wednesday 12 February 2014

Stephen Metcalfe MP calls on Government to get young people voting

Yesterday Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, asked the Deputy Prime Minister what action he is taking to engage young people with politics and get them voting.

Having championed Bite the Ballot’s National Voter Registration Day last week, Mr Metcalfe is keen to engage with the 4 million young people who under represented and missing from the voting register.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, announced last week that five national organisations and every local authority in Britain will share £4.2 million worth of new resources to maximise registration. In the House of Commons he also told Mr Metcalfe that a new citizenship programme will launch next September which stipulates that pupils in schools should learn about parliamentary democracy and citizenship more widely. 

Mr Metcalfe commented: “This new citizenship programme will provide young people with another opportunity to learn of the importance of politics and of the importance of making their voice heard! Voting is one means of doing this and I would encourage young people who are eligible to register and ensure that they and their peers are represented at the next general election.”