I recently held a pizza and policy evening for some local young people and students in the Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency. I wanted to hear what they thought were the most pressing issues facing the country at the moment, and what should be done to tackle them.
The first in a series of events like this, around 8 young people came along for pizza and a chance to chat together to come up with the main issues they wanted to see addressed and their ideas for solutions.
With issues ranging from Brexit (unsurprisingly), housing and homelessness, transport and big items such as how connected the South West is to the rest of the country, the need for honest politicians and the importance of tackling climate change, it was a great opportunity for healthy debate and a safe place to share ideas.
Understanding the issues that are important to young people is vital for anyone looking to represent future generations in Parliament.
It is really easy to meet young people and tell them what you think they think or make undeliverable promises like free university education simply to get votes. To actually sit down and provide space for debate and feedback over pizza enabled me to show how much I wanted to know their views and provided me with some really helpful insight into the issues we all face today, regardless of age or background.
Hearing directly from voters is something I’m always keen to do, whether out on the doorstep, meeting with groups across the city or through events like these. I will keep on listening and collaborating with different groups so that together we can make Plymouth a better place and so that I can better represent the city and all those who live here.’
One of the young people who attended the event, Ruth, said: ‘As a young person who is interested in politics, it was really encouraging to see Rebecca take such an interest in the political issues that really matter to us as young people.
‘The thing that we all agreed on was that politicians today need to be more honest with us, and listen to us more, and it was really promising to see Rebecca doing just this and championing the causes that we care about. I look forward to our future discussions to ensure our young people in Plymouth are listened to.’
If you’d like to organise a listening event for a group you’re involved in, please let Rebecca know.
