Queen’s Speech

Wednessday marked the formal opening of the new Parliament; with the Queen delivering her speech to peers and MPs, crowded into the chamber of the House of Lords to hear the Government’s plans for the coming months.

 

After all the pomp and ceremony had finished, the House of Commons got straight to business by embarking on a debate of the Queen’s Speech that will likely last for the remainder of the week. I wanted to make sure that I was given the chance to speak out on behalf of my constituents on some issues that I think will be key in the coming years.

 

I chose, on this occasion, to speak about my younger constituents- and young people in general across the UK. I spent a lot of time in the last Parliament working with some inspiring organisations to understand what matters to young people and why, despite the efforts of politicians of all stripes, so many still decided to stay away from the voting booths on May 7^th.

 

We do not yet have, and may not have, accurate data on this election from the infamous pollsters, but recent figures published by Ipsos MORI suggested that turnout at the election among that youngest age group (18-24 year olds) may have got worse from the 2010 election, at 43%. Contrast this with more than 75% of pensioners that turned out to vote this time.

 

The consequences of this are stark; simply put, Parliament will be less representative of young people until their voice is heard through the ballot box. There are many ideas about how to engage young people in our democracy, and it is an area that I am wholly committed to exploring in detail. But, practically, I want to make sure that during this Parliament the Government delivers in key areas that matter to young people. Those areas are housing, transport and jobs.

 

The No. 1 thing the Government can do is continue to mend the economy. If the economy improves, there will, of course, be more good jobs. Our generation wishes for the Government to be able to cut red tape further and foster a business-friendly environment, because 80% of 16 to 30-year-olds believe they will start their own business in the next five years.

 

So I welcomed the Bill to increase the tax-free allowance to ensure that people working 30 hours a week on the minimum wage will pay no income tax. I welcomed measures to deliver more childcare and 3 million more apprenticeships. These measures provide real help to young people seeking to get the skills and training they need to secure a job that works for them, and their families. In Norwich, this will be a real boost to the young jobseekers who come through the Norwich for Jobs scheme that I am so proud to lead, and easier for the businesses to take them on.

 

I hear from many young constituents who, despite working hard and saving money, find owning their own home is beyond their reach. Obviously, building more homes, and thereby bringing down prices, will benefit the young people who are locked out of those prices at the moment. I am acutely aware that I have had to balance the needs and desires of older residents, perhaps for tranquillity and green spaces, with younger residents’ needs for homes they can afford. By its very nature, the planning process divides people in that way.

I welcome measures in the new Housing Bill that will make it easier for young people to achieve their dream of owning a home, including: Help to Build 200,000 new Starter Homes for first-time buyers. These homes will be sold to first-time buyers only under the age of 40 at a 20 per cent discount on the market price. The new Right to Build to double the number of custom and self-build homes being built; and easier access to brownfield land to build them on.

 

I will always make sure that I seek that balance of needs in the community- any development must reflect and be sensitive to those needs.

 

Lastly, I wanted to raise the issue of transport. By its very nature, transport deeply interests those who want to get about and who want to begin their lives. As a 16-year-old in rural Norfolk, transport was what got me interested in politics, because I could not get from my village to anywhere where I could see friends or do anything else that would help me live my life as I chose. Transport is crucial from a social point of view, from a growth point of view and from an economic perspective. I am delighted that in the Conservative party manifesto we committed to completing the Norwich in 90 project, a piece of work that I and others have led locally.

 

Alongside this, I will continue to work with local transport providers to ensure that all of my constituents are well-served by accessible and affordable transport.

 

If you have any questions about any of these issues, or anything you heard in the Queen’s Speech, then please do get in touch.