Wilmslow teenager elected to UK Youth Parliament

Adult voters have to wait until May 7th, but Cheshire East's young people have elected two new candidates to join the UK Youth Parliament.

Seven candidates went to the electorate of 11 to 18-year-olds with campaigns on tackling mental health, the living wage, votes for 16-year-olds, youth provision and homophobia.

Nearly 6,400 voted in the annual ballot and the two successful candidates were Joe McBride,15, from Wilmslow and Callum Coleman, 17, from Crewe.

Voters judged domestic abuse, employment including apprenticeships and the minimum wage, mental health and transport to be their top priorities.

Speaking after the results were announced at Sandbach Town Hall, Joe McBride said: "I'm really looking forward to working with a collection of lovely young people and adults and making a difference to the lives of young people and taking every opportunity I'm given."

Tony Crane, Director of Children's Services at Cheshire East Council said: "I'd like to congratulate the incredible achievement of all the young candidates.

"We, as a local authority, are working closer with more young people than ever before so we can better understand what services they need.

"We now have a fantastic set of young people who will help us these deliver these services. Well done and I look forward to continuing to hear their views in the future."

The UK Youth Parliament has 600 Members (MYPs) who are elected annually. In the past two years, one million young people have voted.

MYPs organise events and projects, run campaigns and work to influence decision makers on the issues which matter most to young people.

They meet once a year at the UK Youth Parliament Annual Sitting and are the only group besides MPs to sit in the main House of Commons chamber.

Photo (l-r) Newly-elected MYPs Callum Coleman, 17, from Crewe, and Joe McBride, 15, from Wilmslow