The political conference season has been taking place in the last few weeks and I attended the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. Whilst there I visited a large number of business and charity stalls, but something that really was impressive was the interest taken in this annual event by young people from Northampton who have developed a strong interest in politics and who volunteer in our community. They came to Birmingham at their own expense to listen to speeches and take part in social events- and as you can see from this picture they seem to have enjoyed themselves!
Throughout my time as an MP I have tried to get as many young people as possible involved in and interested in politics. I think it is an important way that young people can understand that they have an important role to play in society – and while many young people think that their voices cannot be heard, I want to show that politicians do want to listen to young people. I have in the last fortnight written to the Head Teachers of all the secondary schools in Northampton North offering to visit their schools to talk again about politics and society.
Regardless of one’s political affiliation I think it is beneficial for young people to get involved.
While at Party Conference, I also had the opportunity to meet with the Head of News at the BBC, James Harding, where we discussed a number of issues including the future of the BBC, which is a service that I know a lot of Northampton North residents value, as well as a number of charities and interest groups who were present.