People and Politics day at Westminster Central Hall
Great George Street, London
Speech by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs
Bridget Prentice MP
Good afternoon.
I am pleased that my department, the Department for Constitutional Affairs is part of this event and It is a pleasure to be asked to speak to you today. As a Minister I get asked to speak at lots of things. Some of them are fun, and some of them are a bit more serious.
Today is a bit of both.
It is often a bit like following football. There are games you look forward too, games you enjoy, and depending on who you support, games where you really wonder why you are there at all.
Well, for me, speaking about democracy to young adults is the equivalent of an Old Firm Derby. It doesn't get much bigger. Its importance cannot be underestimated.
Today I want to speak very briefly about the importance of democracy. And in particular why I think it is important to young adults.
Despite my allegiance to Celtic, and my Glaswegian accent, I represent the constituency of Lewisham in Parliament. In Lewisham Siobhan has just become the Young Mayor for Lewisham, at 17. She stood against 16 other people. She stood to make a difference for those she wants to represent. The 'old' mayor decided he would like a young mayor to give young people a voice in the borough. And over the coming year Siobhan will have a budget of £25000 specifically set-aside to be spent on improvements for young people.
Siobhan is planning on helping young people who leave school early, and I am sure she will do a fantastic job.
What Siobhan does with that money matters to the young people in Lewisham.
She is a mayor elected by her peers to represent her peers. The young people in Lewisham now have a voice.
Siobhan.
They have a mouthpiece through which they can affect change.
They have Siobhan
The young people of Lewisham got involved. They participated in a very clear demonstration of democracy.
Something like 45% of all 11-17 year olds voted in this election. Considerably more than the proportion of adults in the 'old' mayor election. And so when people say to me that young people don't want to get involved, I just say nonsense. Look at Lewisham. And Lewisham, I do not believe is any different to the rest of the country. Give young people the opportunity to make their voice heard and they will.
Democracy is, I believe, a word which has lost some of its impact. Its importance can often be overshadowed by our over familiarity with it. We have got use to living in a society where the values of democracy are not only accepted, but expected.
And rightly so. But through the familiarity we must not lose sight of what it stands for.
Democracy underpins the very fabric of our society. It's what unites us. It brings communities together.
It is not just a process of electing those who govern us. It is a philosophy which says we are all equal, with an equal say in how we are governed, and with the right to be treated without discrimination.
Democracy provides a voice for those in society who are vulnerable or marginalised. It provides the right for all to participate in holding to account those who govern them.
But it is about participation. It is about interaction. It is about involvement. Clement Atlee, one of the great Prime Ministers of the 20th Century, once said 'Democracy is government by discussion'.
To me that means it is an open and honest conversation between elected representatives and the public.
But it can only work where the public participate. It can only work if people exercise their right to choose and hold to account. If people do not get involved, then the strength of our democracy suffers
You may be sat thinking, why are you telling me. I can't vote. Well in three or four years time many of you will be old enough to vote.
You will have the opportunity to use your democratic right to stand up, to get involved, to speak out about the areas you are interested in. Be that climate change, world poverty, university tuition fees, crime.
You will have the opportunity to make your voice heard. And you should make your voice heard.
I am often told that the reason why people, and particularly young adults don't get involved, and don't vote, is because they don't believe they can make a difference. They believe that their views won't change the minds of those in the positions to do something about it.
Again I say no. If you think back to the events of last summer and the Make Poverty History campaign. That started with a small group of people saying enough was enough. And it snowballed. And the momentum it gathered, momentum due to individuals standing up and telling the Government what it wanted to do, led to the Government taking the issue to other world leaders and saying we must do something. And Governments have. It has made a significant and wonderful change for many around the world.
Or the words of Robert Kennedy, brother of the assassinated President of the United States, John F Kennedy. He travelled to South Africa, at the height of Apartheid regime, two years after Nelson Mandela had been sentenced to prison for having the courage to stand up against discrimination. Bobby Kennedy said, against a backdrop of inequality, discrimination and censorship, some very powerful words about individual involvement.
'Each time a man stands up for an ideal,
or acts to improve the lot of others,
or strikes out against injustice,
he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope,
and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.'
Democracy provides the opportunity to do that, to contribute to society. For you to make a difference and to become involved.
Through being part of the democratic process, exercising your right to vote, holding those who govern us to account. You are making sure democracy remains a stable force in our society.
Democracy is government by discussion and I believe we all need to play our part and get involved.
Without participation, the strength of democracy is undermined and it holds no power.
With participation it can be a force for positive change.
I know you now have a session to talk about how to get involved and what that means in practice. I hope it is a fruitful and productive discussion.
You will hear from all three major parties, and when you vote, whoever you decide to support, remember:
You have the power to make a difference.
The challenge I want to leave you with is - will you take part in the conversation and get involved.
Thank you