MP hosts biggest ever youth forum

South Lakes MP Tim Farron held his tenth Youth Forum last Friday, providing students from across the constituency with an opportunity to discuss a number of current issues.

This year's event took place at the South Lakes Foyer in Kendal with twenty four pupils travelling from ten different schools and a college to meet Tim. Every secondary school in Tim's constituency was represented, as was Kendal College, making this the biggest ever local Youth Forum. Professional Adviser John Greener from Inspira, a national social enterprise company based in Cumbria, also attended.

Students between the ages of 15 and 18 were quizzed on their knowledge of politicians, past and present, home and abroad. They debated a variety of relevant topics - affordable housing, Britain's membership of the European Union and the use of social media by politicians. Tim then answered a series of questions raised by the pupils. These included queries relating to the coalition, party policies and Tim's rebellion on tuition fees. One participant even asked for advice on how to pursue a career as an MP.

Tim said: "I was really impressed by the questions asked by the students. They demonstrated a real engagement with political matters, which was great to see. This is what the Youth Forum is all about - getting young people involved in politics."