The 4th July will mark the day of the next UK General Election. So, what is a General Election? Have you ever wondered how our government in Westminster gets chosen? Have you ever asked yourself what does an MP (Members of Parliament) do? Well, to get you prepped before polling day let’s dive into the world of General Elections and the role that MPs play in shaping our lives.
What is a General Election?
Imagine a job interview, but instead of one boss, instead you have millions of bosses (that’s us, the millions of voters!). A General Election is when all those who can vote in the country get to choose who they want to represent them in Parliament. It’s like picking your team captain, but on a much larger scale. You can only participate if you are registered to vote. You can do that here: Register to vote – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
In the UK, we vote for MPs who then go on to represent different areas called constituencies. Cardiff is split into four areas. Cardiff West, Cardiff South and Penarth, Cardiff Central and Cardiff North. If your unsure which area, you are in you can find out here: Constituencies – MPs and Lords – UK Parliament. These MPs then act as our voice in Parliament – they speak up for us and make decisions on our behalf.
What Do MPs Actually Do?
Once we’ve voted and the MPs are chosen, what’s next? Well, being an MP is a bit like having a few different jobs rolled into one:
• Representing You: MPs are there to listen to us, their constituents. They bring our concerns, ideas, and issues to Parliament to try and make a difference. So, if there’s something bothering you about your area or you think a new law is needed, your MP is the one you can talk to about it.
• Making Laws: MPs debate and vote on new laws in Parliament. They’re the ones who discuss everything from how much tax we pay to what rights we have at work. It’s their job to think about what’s best for everyone in the country.
• Helping People: Ever had a problem with a government service or needed help with something that’s just too tricky to sort out on your own? MPs also help their constituents with things like housing problems, benefits, or even just listening when you need someone to speak up for you.
• Standing Up for Issues: Sometimes, MPs have their own ideas about how things could be better. They might start campaigns, ask difficult questions, or work with others to make changes that they believe in.
Why Should You Care?
You might be thinking, “Well, that’s all well and good, but why does it matter to me?” Here’s the thing: MPs are the link between us and the decisions that affect our lives every day. Whether it’s the environment, education, healthcare, or jobs, the people we elect have a big say in how things are run.
By understanding how elections work and what MPs do, we can all play a part in making sure our voices are heard. Remember it’s your chance to have a say in who represents you and shapes the future of our country.
Who can I vote for and what do they stand for?
This year, as Cardiff Youth Council we contacted all candidates to ask three key questions.
- What do you perceive as the most pressing issues currently facing children and young people in Cardiff?
- What strategies and initiatives do you propose to address these issues over the next parliamentary term?
- How do you intend to represent the broader needs and aspirations of children & young people in Cardiff if elected?
We understand at this moment in time candidates are incredibly busy so not everyone has been able to respond in this short period of time. Thank you to all those who took part and answered our questions. We would now like to share those answers with you.
Neil John McEvoy | Propel Candidate Cardiff West
- Firstly, I would like to hear what young people themselves think. Our younger Propel members share some concerns about schools pressuring them too much on gender and sexuality issues. A lack of play provision for the young is a big issue, as is the lack of youth provision. I proposed to Cardiff Council that £2 million be invested in the youth service, but Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative councillors voted against my proposal and put the money in the bank as a reserve instead. The care sector troubles me enormously in that too many children are placed in care and are adopted in Wales. Propel proposes Keeping Families Together Agencies, instead of Adoption agencies. Housing is a big issue for young people and its lack of affordability, things have got a lot worse on that front during my lifetime. Public sector pensions should be used to provide truly affordable housing, which people should be able to buy.
- Most issues related to the Welsh Government and the decisions are taken in Cardiff, not Westminster.
- Politics for me is every day and not just at elections times. I represent Fairwater on Cardiff Council and I am always open to discuss matters and put forward the views of younger people. I can be contacted at post@propel.wales
Anthony Slaughter | Green Party Candidate Cardiff South and Penarth
- The lack of secure and affordable housing is a very pressing issue for young people and families with children. Living in this insecure environment has very real impacts on people’s mental health and well-being. There is an urgent need for rent controls and better rights for renters as is highlighted by the campaign work of groups such as Acorn. Growing inequality and record levels of child poverty are an overwhelming problem in Cardiff, as across Wales This ongoing crisis has left too many people struggling to afford daily basics, using foodbanks and having to choose between eating and heating. Insecure employment and the gig economy only serves to compound these problems for young people. For a capital city there is a shocking lack of facilities such as community centres, etc for young people.
- Elected Greens would seek to introduce rent controls and stronger tenants rights. We would increase Universal Credit by £40 a week and abolish the cruel two child benefit cap lifting thousands of children and young people out of poverty. Greens would set the minimum wage at £15 per hour for everybody over 16 with no age discrimination against young workers. We would also introduce equal employment for all workers from day one to tackle employment insecurity.
- The Green Party believes in grassroots democracy and that all voices should be heard. Unlike other parties our policy is decided by members and young Greens play a pivotal role in this process. We believe that young people should have a meaningful voice in their future and would campaign for the voting age to be reduced to 16 for all elections at every level of government. We also believe that young people should be better represented at every level of government and offer training and support to encourage more young people to be candidates in elections.
Lee Canning | Reform UK Candidate Cardiff East
- There are several, we have historical issues of discrimination that continue such as those on disability and race. We have more recent issues that affect young people such as a poorly performing education system, a transport system not fit for purpose and a housing sector which will deny young people of today homes tomorrow. The economy is underperforming, productivity in Wales is Lower than other parts of the UK affecting investment. Then there are the issues of tomorrow, housing I have already mentioned but we have a growing population that will have to be serviced by a social care system and pensions. All these issues have relevance to children and young people of Cardiff, even the state pensions of today’s forty-year-olds will be paid for by the taxes of today’s ten-year-olds.
- On historical issues of discrimination as an example, it’s time to see every person for their worth. ensuring every person has the potential to achieve. As education, transport and housing are devolved matters unfortunately the UK Parliament doesn’t have much say here in Cardiff. The Welsh Government on the economy have failed. We need more ambiguous leadership on the global stage when we talk about how great Welsh and British products are. the best way to ensure that is to increase productivity, the best way to do that is a low Tax economy and allow young people and the parents of children to keep more of their own hard-earned money.
- Absolutely. I have two little girls (5yrs and 2ys), no parent wants to see children fail. Children are our future; they might not become Taylor Swift or Elon Musk, but I fight to ensure they have the opportunity. For too long children and young people have been told ‘we can’t’, when really the language should be more aspirational, ‘why not try’. The best place to start is more money in families’ pockets, lets reduce the amount people pay in Tax.
Meg Shepherd-Foster | Green Party Candidate Cardiff North
- It is likely that in every class of 30 right now, 8 or 9 children are living in poverty. Some are without safe, warm homes. Some are going without food or comfortable clothes. School buildings are crumbling. Staff are increasingly under resourced and stressed. Attendance and exams are being prioritised over health and well-being. Only 16% of children in Cardiff can swim and fewer than half of children are meeting the UK’s Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines for being physically active. Loneliness is on the rise, youth services have been cut and LGBTIQA+ rights are being rolled back. When I was at school, the climate crisis was something that MIGHT perhaps happen, in 50 years, to other people. Now it is something that is already happening – 2023 was the warmest year since records began – and that is already affecting this generation.
- The Green Party would lift the two child cap, which would lift 250,000 children in the UK out of poverty. 12,000 new social homes a year in Wales with a street by street upgrade to insulation. We would push for an increase in school funding, scrapping high stakes exams, formal testing and replacing Ofsted/Estyn with something more collegiate. We would invest £5 billion in community sports, arts and culture and exempt tickets from VAT – making concerts and gigs much cheaper. We would bring back school nurses and give children and students access to a qualified counsellor. We would listen to the voices of young people, encouraging citizens assemblies and lowering the voting age in the General Election to 16. We would push for the Senedd to scrap tuition fees, restore maintenance grants and promote life-long learning. More than anything, we would seek to urgently address the climate crisis. Investing in fairer, greener transport, bringing nature back to life and powering up fairer, greener energy.
- My background is in Education and Sport and I am involved in rewriting the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport policy in the party. I would focus on accessibility and inclusion, working to offer young people opportunities and hope. There are fantastic initiatives in the city and facilities that deserve support and funding, such as our museums and parks. We’re also seeing savage cuts to funding for art and music and I would want to see that reversed. I would make it a priority to attend citizens assemblies and youth councils so that voices are lifted up and heard. I would push for more to be done under the banner of the Future Generations Act and work hard for more long-term planning, investment and spending. The Green Party would introduce policies that would offer real hope and big change. A £15 minimum wage, working from home, 4 day working week. A wealth tax and carbon tax. A frequent flyer levy. A Rights of Nature Act. A Clean Air Act. Air filters in schools and community buildings. Further devolution in Wales, including the Crown Estate. Re-joining the EU as our major trade and political partner – when the time is right.
Cadewyn Skelley | Plaid Cymru Candidate Cardiff East
- The current most pressing issue for the children in Cardiff to me is child poverty and the Cost-of-Living Crisis. I identify proudly as a socialist and it is my aim, my life’s goal, to make sure that people no longer have to needlessly suffer. Children should not have to go hungry and our young people should not have to dread their future. Our society and our government should aim for prosperity, not austerity. Austerity has achieved nothing but suffering, pain, and even death in some cases, yet the current Tory Government and Labour have what the Institute of Financial Studies calls a ‘Conspiracy of Silence’ when in comes to taxation. In short they’re not raising enough funds, and with that comes even more cuts in our public services. With their plans comes Austerity 2.0. The government in Westminster must work to rethink its plans and tackle the Cost of Living Crisis through progressive and left wing means in order to raise the funds necessary not only to avoid further cuts, but to also bring around the change that we desperately need. Through this, not only can we uplift those who are struggling with the Cost of Living, but we can finally work towards the end of child poverty.
- In order to avoid the suffering austerity will bring (worsening already high levels of child poverty and amplifying the effects of the Cost of Living crisis), we must implement sensible, leftwing, progressive policies. My first act would be to donate 65% of my wage to local food banks and charities within Cardiff. While this may not tackle the issue at its source, it is my aim to get knee deep in helping those suffering by alleviating the pressure faced by our local charities and food banks. Another of my goals would be the eventual nationalisation of our utilities: water, energy and broadband. People are struggling with the cost of living and these are vital services that are needed by everyone in the modern day. Why should people have to pay for brown, ecologically dying rivers? Why should people have to pay extortionate prices for their energy bills while energy companies have received record-high profits in the winter last year, as families had to decide whether to pay for food or heating in the winter? In the 21st Century where more and more people need the internet to work from home, why should those who have low income be locked out of a vital service, and those in rural communities be underprioritised and neglected? The fact is they shouldn’t and only through the nationalisation of our utilities can we truly tackle the cost of living. Additionally, I aim to campaign for:
a. Rent controls within the Cardiff area
b. Abolishing the two-child benefit cap which can bring 300,000 children out of poverty
c. Alongside an increase of £20 for child benefits per week
d. Expansion of free school meals for secondary school children
e. Tax the ultra-wealthy of our society through a wealth tax whilst simultaneously cracking down on tax dodgers and close tax loopholes
f. Taking the tax burden off those who cannot afford it and onto those who have the broadest shoulders through the devolution of tax brackets. - I will represent young people by working heavily with pressure/activist groups like Acorn Cardiff, Zero Hour, as well as organisations like Cardiff Youth Council and University Student Unions in order to truly engage with the young people and children of Cardiff. It is through my own experiences that I believe I am able to not only understand but relate to the issues that we as young people face. It is through Plaid Cymru that we have the drive and the ability necessary to deliver the fairness our communities need, as well as the ambition necessary to deliver the progressive left wing policies that will tackle the source of the problems our communities face.
John Williams | Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Candidate Cardiff East
- The fear of not having a future. Tuition fees at more than £9k a year, going to university must seem an expensive venture! Fears of climate change, where all around the world there are ‘climate refugees’, and the earth getting hotter and hotter. Youth services have been cut by more than £1b since 2010, so a lot of young people can’t do extra-curriculum activities and have lost a sense of community. Where will young people live when they decide to go out in the word alone? Its very difficult to get on the housing ladder, there’s not enough council homes being built. And rents keep on going up and up- the increase in Cardiff is just under London.
- We need to end austerity, cuts and privatisation to our public services that young people rely on. The 60% of cuts made to council budgets should be reversed, and the extra cash injected to keep up with the current demand. We have to tax the rich, nationalise the energy, rail and mail, and the biggest companies in the UK, so the people of this country can dictate where the wealth and resources go. We need to make education free- scrap tuition fees and give students grants that they can live on. Council homes should be built to meet social need- in particular young people. Tenants, tenant unions and local communities should decide how many council homes should be built- not the ever-changing number that all the big parties come out with, and then break! We need a mass council homes building programme. Rents should be affordable for young people, so we desperately need rent control- and rent tribunals so people can take landlords to court if they think they’re paying too much rent.
- One thing is wages. How can it be right that the younger you are, the less pay you get for doing the exact same thing as people who are older? The minimum wage should at least be £15 an hour, and we should abolish youth rates. Everyone should be on £15 an hour as a bare minimum. The same applies to out of work benefits. Young people need a new party that they see is theirs, where the working class can play an active role in. I’m fighting for a new mass party based on youth and workers. Where its democratic, where the trade unions can affiliate to, where all of its members cab decide policy and take part in a collective discussion on how to bring about socialist change. All the mainstream parties aren’t offering that.
Stephen Doughty | Labour Candidate Cardiff South and Penarth
- As the son of a local youth worker, the prospect of our young people are very close to my heart. The contributions of young people are integral to communities across Cardiff South and Penarth but after 14 years of Conservative government in Westminster, the ambitions of far too many go unreached. The challenges facing young people today are complex and I am clear that things must change if we are to improve the long-term prospects for our children and young people – as well as their health and wellbeing in the years and decades to come. I’m proud of the investment of the Welsh Government’s investment in schools, further education and youth services locally but we must do more, especially in mental health, job opportunities, apprenticeships and training. The allure of gangs, when it comes to vulnerable young people, remains a crucial issue which must be addressed. Finally, the scourge of poverty faced by so many children and young people must be addressed and burning inequalities for too many, at the very start of their lives, must be eliminated – no child or young person should go to school hungry, nor should they have to face unsafe living conditions at home. I am proud that Labour has set out a clear agenda in all of these areas.
- Government at the UK level, partnering with a Welsh Labour Government in Cardiff, I know that we can achieve great things which will improve the outlook of children and young people nationwide and our plans reflect this cooperation between the two. To achieve this:
a. We will be recruiting new teachers in key subjects to ensure that each child if given the attention and support that they need to excel.
b. We will ensure free school meals and breakfasts are available for all primary school children – something already going forward thanks to the fantastic work of the Labour Welsh Government.
c. Welsh Labour Government is already supporting children and families by continuing to expand childcare for two-year-olds through the Flying Start programme.
d. The Welsh Labour Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee is providing everyone aged 16 to 24 with support to get a place in education, training or help to work or become self-employed. So far, over 27,000 young people have started on employability and skills programmes.
e. The Welsh Labour Government is implementing a Whole School Approach to mental health for both learners and staff. All local authorities in Wales are required by law to provide a school counselling service for pupils from age 6 and above, and the counselling available to school staff is being expanded.
f. Labour will also introduce a new offence of criminal exploitation of children, to go after the gangs who are luring young people into violence.
g. Finally, the two Labour governments working together will be able to do so much more to tackle poverty across Wales and Britain. The next UK Labour Government will develop an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty. We will work with the voluntary sector, faith organisations, trade unions, business, devolved and local government, and communities to bring about change. - I remain as committed to representing the needs of young people as I was when first elected 12 years ago as the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth. My team and I work tirelessly to support individual young people and their families across Cardiff, and I am delighted that, in light of recent boundary changes, Cathays will become part of Cardiff South and Penarth, as will the students and young people which have made their home there for the duration of their studies. For young people who would like to make their views heard, my door has always been open, and I remain clear that their welfare and aspiration have always been central priorities when I go to Westminster every week to speak up for the city where I was born and educated myself. I regularly visit schools, colleges and the university campuses across Cardiff to engage directly with children, young people, teachers, parents and others to listen to their views, perspectives and learn more of the issues that they face. I wholeheartedly commit to continue doing so if re-elected and to putting the priorities of Cardiff’s young people are the heart of a Labour Government’s mission to turn the page on 14 years of the Tories – changing Britain for the better and for good. I am also committed to tackling the challenges affecting future generations – not least the climate crisis and geopolitical instability.
John Ernest Urquhart | Independent Candidate Cardiff West
- Without a doubt the cost of living crisis and the impact of so many cuts to services for families and children over the past ten years are the biggest problems right now – so: poverty, exclusion, hunger. These aren’t new problems. I grew up with them as a disabled child who also took care of my dad as a carer. Opportunities that were there for some older brothers and sisters, and for the kids of today’s mums and dads, just don’t exist anymore. I think it’s important to stress that this is because of political choice. We didn’t have to be here. We’re here because some very greedy people put themselves first, just as they did when I was young.
- A Universal Basic Income combined with universal free school meals would for children and young people be a spectacular game-changer. I plan to argue for these things regardless of whether or not I am elected, as I have been for some time already; our universal free school meal petition has nearly fifty thousand signatures for a reason. But outside of these big headliners – which are less likely to be implemented than I’d like – there are a lot of ways we can improve things for young people in Cardiff. There need to be more ways to engage young minds without spending money, for a start. There needs to be more of that for adults too, let’s be honest, but all of us want kids to get to be kids: play that doesn’t include capitalism is exactly that. In office I’d argue for and fight for more play areas for children, more funding for clubs and social groups for young people, and more funding for council-run services too. We need more arts and more play in kids’ lives, and schools alone can’t and probably shouldn’t provide that alone. But I also believe firmly that tuition fees were a grave mistake and are costing this country dearly. University should be one of those improved points of inclusion: many politicians today benefitted from free universities, and I only just missed out, age-wise. It’s not fair to deny it to the young people of today.
- We – the party I founded, Cytgord Cymru – are establishing a broad Cardiff West Assembly. It is a people’s assembly – which is a way for people to directly have a say on things that are important to them. But the constituency has a lot of people in it, so we’re not just running one big thing! We’ll establish smaller assemblies that will add up to the big main one – based along community lines as well as geography. One of those is going to be a Youth Assembly – a means by which young people will be able to directly make their case about the issues that matter most to them and their families. The Youth Assembly will speak for itself, supported by adults but run by young people for themselves and ultimately by themselves. What’s more, we’ll set up more of these across Wales over time – and they’ll add up themselves to another, even bigger Welsh Youth Assembly. And that Assembly, in combination, will have a huge say in setting all Cytgord Cymru policy on young people. We want young people to speak for themselves, in their own words, on their own issues – and to learn that they do not need permission to want to make the world a better place. If we had had these opportunities, what world would we have built for them?
What next?
Perhaps the election to you is more about the bigger picture rather than your local candidate, maybe you are more interested in which party will form the next Government. You can find easy read manifestos here: General Election 2024 Easy Read manifestos | Mencap
Hopefully with this information it will help you to make a more informed decision come the 4th July and remember for this election you will need a form of I.D. when going to the polling station!
Thank you for reading this special General Election blog by Cardiff Youth Council.
Please find a full list of the candidates for each area below.
Cardiff North:
• Anna McMorrin – Labour
• Irfan Latif – Liberal Democrats
• Joel Williams – Conservative
• Lawrence Gwynn – Reform UK
• Malcolm Phillips – Plaid Cymru
• Meg Shepherd-Foster – Green Party
Cardiff South and Penarth:
• Alex Wilson – Liberal Democrats
• Anthony Slaughter – Green Party
• Ellis Smith – Conservative
• Sharifah Rahman – Plaid Cymru
• Simon Llewellyn – Reform UK
• Stephen Doughty – Labour
Cardiff East:
• Beatrice Brandon -Conservative
• Cadewyn Skelley – Plaid Cymru
• Jo Stevens – Labour
• John Williams – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
• Lee Canning – Reform UK
• Rodney Berman – Liberal Democrats
• Sam Coates – Green Party
Cardiff West:
• Alex Barros-Curtis – Labour
• James Robert Hamblin – Conservative
• Jess Ryan – Green Party
• John Ernest Urquhart – Independent
• Kiera Marshall – Plaid Cymru
• Manda Rigby – Liberal Democrats
• Neil John McEvoy – Propel
• Peter Meireon Hopkins – Reform UK
• Sean Wesley – Heritage Party