Our Member, Evie Somers, from Carmarthen represented Carmarthenshire at the UK Youth Parliament Annual Sitting at the House Of Commons, Westminster. The Annual Sitting took place on Friday 28th February 2025 and along with 300 other Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) Evie debated and voted on key issues which affect young people across the UK.
Evie was elected as the MYP for Carmarthenshire, in August 2024 and will stand for a two-year term. MYP’s are 11 to 18 years old and represent the views of their peers.
During the Annual Sitting, which was presided over by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, young people from across the UK as well as the British Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies debated and voted on five key topics, these were:
★ Voting 16 and 17-year-olds
★ Increasing the minimum wage
★ Free transport for young people
★ The need for political education
★ Period dignity for everyone
Evie said “It was such an honour to represent my peers, their experiences, and their voices at the House of Commons. During a day filled with passionate debate, I had the opportunity to deliver my speech on the importance of political literacy, highlighting how ‘democracy does not function on apathy’ and that it instead ‘thrives on awareness participation and empowerment’. Click play on the video below to watch Evie’s passionate speech at the House of Commons.
Following a busy day of debating in the Chamber, the day ended with the UK Youth Parliament setting key motions on issues affecting young people nationwide, ensuring that youth voices are central of policy discussions. Youth Parliament Members voted to prioritise Lowering the voting age to 16 (UK Reserved Campaign) and Period dignity (Devolved Campaign) as their campaigns for the upcoming year.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons said that he was “very proud that this sitting of the UK Youth Parliament will be the most inclusive and exciting yet.”
The event in the UK Parliament coincided with the launch the UK Youth Parliament Manifesto for 2024-2026, ‘Shaping Our Future, Today Not Tomorrow’, which was created by young people at their Annual Conference last year, drawing on the views and issues raised by young people from across the UK.
As a dedicated advocate for the voice of young people, Evie will continue to work alongside decision-makers to drive progress in these priority areas. Ensuring young people’s voices are heard and championing for meaningful change for young people throughout Carmarthenshire, Wales and across the UK.
Carmarthenshire Council Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language, Cllr Glynog Davies congratulated Evie on representing the county at the UK Youth Parliament and also for being elected as the Member of UK Youth Parliament (MYP) for Carmarthenshire.
For the first time ever a Member of the Youth Parliament made history as the first young person to use British Sign Language to deliver their speech in the House of Commons. A BSL interpreter communicated this via a microphone in the Commons Chamber.
