Labour’s candidate for Truro and Falmouth Charlotte MacKenzie has added her support to a youth manifesto giving politicians five policies that are important to young people.

The youth-led British Youth Council has created a General Election Manifesto ‘Our Parliament, Our Vision’ that outlines five actions Parliament must take to improve the lives of young people in the UK:

• Support a National Youth Transport card that offers 16 to 25 year olds a third off public transport fares.
• Reduce the voting age for parliamentary and other public elections to 16 years.
• Create an equal National Minimum Wage for everyone aged 16 and over.
• Keep the promise to end child poverty by 2020.
• Invest in comprehensive mental health services for young people.

Charlotte MacKenzie shares the British Youth Council that it is crucial to engage young people and listen to their opinions during this election.

Charlotte MacKenzie said of the BYC Manifesto:

“I am delighted to add my support to the British Youth Council’s General Election Manifesto. In particular I support young people calling for help with transport costs because this is also a priority for Cornwall Youth Forum and would help local students and workers up to the age of 25 too. Over-60s have free travel passes and young people are the other main users of public transport.

“It’s really important for young people to have a voice in this election, speak out and use their votes if they are registered”.

BYC Chair Alex Delaney, who is leading the ‘Our Parliament, Our Vision’ campaign says:

“We believe it’s our Parliament too. Our vision should inform and influence what it does. All of the five calls for action in this Manifesto address real issues that affect them today. Teenagers are struggling to meet travel costs to get to places of education, training or work; young workers are being paid unequal wages just because of their age; four million children are living in poverty; the needs of young people with mental health problems are not being met; young people are not heard in our democracy.”