Youth PMQs would show up politicians and rekindle our democracy – The Yorkshire Post says

Yet the contention that students lack the relevant expertise does a disservice to a great many young people who are interested in political affairs and have a vested interest in this country’s future, most notably climate policy.

However the greater issue is those leaders, past and present, who treat children as political props during school visits and then do not follow through on their promises to have an open dialogue with the electorate.

Tony Blair started out by holding a series of town hall-style public meetings before the questions became more hostile and a gift to his critics. His interest and commitment soon waned.

Meanwhile Boris Johnson – who still hasn’t quite grasped that his role is to provide responses at Prime Minister’s Questions – has become more reluctant to use his £2.6m Downing Street Press Briefing Room in the face of a succession of damaging scandals.

And it is this double standards, even hypocrisy, that is becoming so damaging to politics and deterring many of the most able people from entering public life – they do not want to be associated with the Westminster pantomime.

As such, the concept of a Youth PMQs, in addition to the existing Youth Parliament, should be encouraged further – if only to give young people, who, after all, are this country’s future, a chance to demonstrate the qualities that they expect to see from Britain’s leaders. What is not needed, however, is more gesture politics.

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