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.”
