Tom Lodziak's blog

Over 300 young people from across the country are set to debate in the House of Commons chamber on Friday 29th October. Members of Youth Parliament, aged 11-18, will debate issues including the cost of university, sex education in schools and war. 

Following the success of the UK Youth Parliament debate in the chamber last year, MPs voted by a majority of 499 to 21, to allow the event to happen annually for the life of this Parliament.

 James Telfer, age 18 from Corbridge, Northumberland has recently spent the day shadowing Ian Lucas Minister for Business and Regulatory Reform from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as part of The Youth of Today’s Ministerial Shadowing programme. These are his thoughts on the day.

 Libby Clarkson, age 19 from Goole has recently spent the day shadowing Lord Bach Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State from the Ministry of Justice as part of The Youth of Today’s Ministerial Shadowing programme. These are her thoughts on the day.

Robert Cranenburgh, age 15 from Croydon has recently spent the day shadowing Secretary of State Ed Balls and Parliamentar Under- Secretary of State Diana Johnson from the Department of Children, Schools and Families as part of The Youth of Today’s Ministerial Shadowing programme. These are his thoughts on the day.

Asha Nasar, age 16 from Derby has recently spent the day shadowing David Hanson Minister of State in charge of Policing and Crime as part of The Youth of Today’s Ministerial Shadowing programme. These are her thoughts on the day.

I arrived at the Department for Work and Pensions at 9:30 and the day started with a team review; which revises everything that needs to be done over the next week. Then I went to a diary meeting with Yvette Cooper (minister for work and pensions) to go over what she has to do and when. Then Yvette had a 1-1 with her permanent secretary so I took the opportunity to get to know the team more and find out what they specialise in.

The day began at 8:40, when I got off the tube at Westminster. Then I had a short walk to DEFRA HQ in Smith Square. Where I signed in, I was greeted and taken up by a PA, and introduced Mr Huw Irranca-Davies’ Staff, and very nice office! We talked until 10:30, when we went to the House of Commons to watch the sections of DEFRA questions by other ministers, which was very exciting. Went back to the office by 12:30, and soaked up the atmosphere of being in an active, political environment.

The day started with a meeting Alan Campbell was supposed to be leading but it had to be covered for him. The day started off madly when the papers published an article of two boys taking mephedrone and dying, despite the fact that it is a legal drug. Alan Campbell then had to give an interview to the BBC that morning because drugs are a part of his job as the minster for crime reduction.

Jaymini Shah, age 17 from Woodside Park, London has recently spent the day shadowing Iain Wright the MP for Hartlepool and Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for the Department of Children, Schools and Families as part of The Youth of Today’s Ministerial Shadowing programme. These are her thoughts on the day.

Following the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009, over 150 young people came together on 12 January to explore ways in which young people can join the fight against climate change.