Bridget Prentice MP has launched a borough-wide campaign throughout Lewisham which will run up until Christmas to find out the views of young people about politics and voting. 

As well as serving as the Member of Parliament for Lewisham East, Bridget is also the Democracy Minster at The Department of Constitutional Affairs, and a significant part of this rôle is to find out the views of young people about their participation in democracy. 

As part of this process she is conducting a borough-wide survey of young people between the ages of 16-24 to find out about their involvement in the democratic process, and to get their suggestions about ways that it could be changed. Surveys have been sent to secondary schools and sixth form colleges, and are also available to pick up at public libraries, leisure centres and at many other key locations across Lewisham. Bridget will also be arranging to visit as many schools and colleges as possible to hear young people’s views first hand. 

Bridget said: “We need to address the startling decline in engagement and seek ways of re-engaging young people in the political process, and we need to find the reasons for that decline.We can measure participation by looking at how many young people turn out to vote in elections, and the figures are pretty stark. In the 2005 general election, only 37% of 18 to 24-year-olds voted, and the figure was only marginally better in 2001, at 39%.That compares quite dramatically with 1997, when 68% of 18 to 24-year-olds voted. They are the future of our country and our democracy and it is therefore vital that we capture their ideas, energy and enthusiasm in respect of democratic issues.” 

• (The survey can be found in the Publications section of the website)