Attending the UK Youth Parliament annual sitting in the House of Commons for my first time was an amazing experience: we learnt so much about ourselves, the UK politics scene and we met some incredible and inspiring people.
My journey started a few months ago in June, where I was elected to be the MYP (member of youth parliament) for Cardiff, and Ffion began her second year of representing Cardiff. From June until the House of Commons Sitting, we made an effort to talk to our constituents, school peers and our communities to get an insight into what the young people in our area wanted us to represent.
In our MYP Development Day just a few weeks ago, we met with all the Welsh MYPs to brainstorm some ideas for each motion. This helped us form the foundation of our speeches in the House of Commons. The day before our sitting, we travelled to London and did some sightseeing, ranging from Battersea Power Station to Tate Britain. That night, we headed to a food market with all the Welsh MYPS, and we discussed the upcoming day in anticipation.
Finally, the day came, and it was time to represent the young people of Cardiff. When we arrived at Westminster Hall, we spoke to many other young people including the Scottish and Northern Irish representatives, as we waited excitedly to enter the House of Commons.
We were both fortunate enough to ‘catch the speakers’ eye’ and get chosen to make a speech during the general debate – and we are both so proud to have represented the young people of Cardiff. My speech was about the need for more accessible work experience opportunities in Wales, and Ffion spoke about the importance of safe and nurturing environments, free from crime.
Other MYPS in the chamber agreed with the importance of putting our solutions in motion, and we are very hopeful that it is something that will be implemented in the future. Moving forward, we are both so excited to continue representing our communities until the end of our terms, and we hope that the impact we made in the House of Commons is just as big as the impact our communities made on us.
Maya Darzi