Cameron Clegg and Milliband chase young votes in Liverpool

GIVEN the date it could easily be mistaken for an April Fool’s Day prank. 

You want to encourage young Liverpool people to increase their engagement in democracy, community and politics. So for a bit of a giggle you have it fronted by the man who made a promise about student tuition fees, then promptly broke it (Nick Clegg); another man who, as the captain of the ship, has helped steer in the biggest ever youth unemployment problem in living memory (David Cameron). For good measure throw in a third man who seems to have little appetite to undo the errors of the other two (Ed Milliband). 

But this is no joke. Today the great and the good of the political world are gathered at Fact in Wood Street to launch My Voice, My Vote, an initiative supported by the three big party leaders in an attempt to engage young people in civic life and ultimately get them to vote for one of them. 

 FACTs of life: Sacked
workers replaced with volunteers FACT's involvement comes just days after it was criticised for laying off 11 casual staff on zero hours contracts, replacing them with volunteers. 

The summit will last for four days and will also see the launch of the charity UpRising to boost democratic engagement for first time voters through community action. 

To give it a leg up (or should that be a hobbled foot?) the patrons of UpRising are Messrs Cameron, Clegg and Milliband who would make good frontsmen in a television sitcom aimed at poking fun at youth called First of the Summer Wine. 

So called leading experts in social action and volunteering from Britain and the USA are gathering in Liverpool for the big pow-wow. 

The show now playing there is supported with funding from 10 Downing Street, more than enough to send anyone with a young set of legs running for cover. 

Following the launch in Liverpool the campaign will also be unveiled tomorrow in the House of Commons in to enable MPs from across the country and from all political parties to lend their support to the scheme. 

The aim, in the months ahead, is for  My Voice, My Vote to help first time voters in the region launch social action projects to address issues in their communities. Courses will assist with leadership, media, public speaking and management skills and then assist young people to launch local public interest campaigns. 

A passion for their community will build first time voters' interest in the democratic process and the importance of voting in advance of the 2015 General Election. The programme will also take participants behind the scenes to meet and speak with politicians and business leaders and hear how they work, how they became involved in politics and how young people can make a difference to the democratic process.   

In other countries such as Canada studies have shown a correlation between youth turnout in elections and young people's engagement in community volunteering. Youth voter turnout  in Canada is said to be one of the highest in the Western world, as are levels of community engagement. 

UpRising’s CEO Andrea Cooper said:  “My Voice, My Vote is the first time UpRising has launched a programme in Liverpool and Merseyside, and we are very pleased our first scheme here has the potential to make a real difference to youth engagement in civic and political life”.  

Mike Stubbs, FACT director, said: “We’re very pleased FACT is involved in launching My Voice, My Vote, a new scheme connecting social action with engaging young people in the democratic process. FACT is at the forefront of innovation in Liverpool, and increasingly Liverpool is at the cutting edge of innovation in the UK, not just in the arts and sciences, but also in social and community change”. 

Luciana Berger MP for Liverpool Wavertree and one of the youngest members of Parliament said: “Liverpool has a youthful population but a low turnout in recent elections. It benefits all of us if young people are engaged in politics and exercise their democratic right. This will make politicians listen much more carefully to their concerns, and the laws passed in parliament will be better and more representative for it”.