Twelve days ago, a new Government was elected.
Members across the country seized the opportunity leading up to the General Election to boost democratic engagement and amplify the voices and agency of young people on the issues that matter to them. You did this by:
- Producing blogs and video content informing young people of their rights and voting
- Hosting hustings for young people to quiz local candidates
- Sending letters to local candidates encouraging them to support our collective key policy asks
- Elevating the Fund the Hubs Campaign
We were proud to see a commitment to early support hubs in the manifestos of several political parties. The Electoral Commission also reported that almost 750,000 under-25s registered to vote in the period after the election was called. Hats off to everyone who contributed to this endeavour. It's amazing what we can achieve when we harness our collective strength. And this is only the beginning!
What's next
Over the first 100 days of the new Government, we will firmly press for actions that ensure all young people can access support that respects their rights and meets their needs and that the Government's decisions are informed by young people and youth professionals.
Our initial focus at Youth Access is to shape and inform commitments from the Labour Party related to our Key Policy Asks, including the development and implementation of:
- Young Futures Hubs
- a strategy to end homelessness
- removing discriminatory age bands in the minimum wage
It is vital that the expertise and experiences of you, our members, and the young people you work with inform this work. We will be sharing opportunities for you to help shape this national work via our Policy, Influencing and Research Opportunities form. If you'd like to receive the latest opportunities as we have them, please register via the link below.
Getting to grips with a new Parliament and Government webinar
We're hosting a "Getting to grips with a new Parliament and Government" event on 11 September from 9:00 to 10:30am. We will explore what we have learnt so far during Labour's first days in office and what this might mean for the future. We'll also share tips and experiences working with newly elected MPs and building those crucial local relationships for the next five years.
Local influencing library
Now is the perfect time to connect with your newly elected representatives to highlight your local priorities. If you're wondering where to start with local influencing, our Local Influencing Library is a great place to start. Located in the Members area, the library is home to an array of valuable tools and resources to support your work, including guides on:
- How to write strong policy briefings
- Mapping your stakeholders
- Engaging young people
If you have any questions, or would like to speak to us about your work, we'd love to hear from you! You can reach our Policy and Campaigns Manager, Sarah Uncles, at [email protected].