The weekend that went too (Bel)fast

Sure, it had its up and downs (including a region boycotting a chosen debate in protest at cuts in the youth service), but it was an eventful and really productive weekend.

We all met some great new people from different regions all over the country, and debated issues which concerned the whole of the UK, such as public transport and the introduction of political education into schools.

I attended the debates on both these issues, and it was really interesting to see other people’s viewpoints right there and then. Some people opposed them and argued their case, and others tried to sway them to their point of view – it was real politics with real issues, and it was great.

To top this all off, we had some brilliant keynote speakers during the weekend, including Charles Hendry of the Department of Energy and Climate Change, who gave an informative question and answer session after his speech.

That was on the Friday, and rumours about who Saturday’s speaker would be were already spreading. Some said it was deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, but this was not the case.

It was instead John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, and he was, indeed, a truly fantastic speaker!

We were all really excited to have such a high-profile MP at our sitting, and he answered some of our questions after his speech, with questions about public transport and other topical issues.

After that, we all enjoyed some lunch as prepared by the kitchen staff at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown, which we were all ready for.

After lunch, we started the first of two training sessions. The ones I attended were Show Me The Money! and An Idiot’s Guide To Making A Short Film, which were both really good. The first one involved showing us techniques to help make applications for public funds successful.

An idiot’s guide to making a short film was amazingly good fun, that was for sure. We were shown different camera angles and their implications, how to hold a camera steady and how to speak clearly on camera. Following this, we were given the chance to make a film ourselves. We decided to make a nature documentary involving “wild MYPs” (Members of the Youth Parliament), which seemed to go down well with the rest of the group.

A topical debate was the next thing on our very busy schedule, and we’d chosen which we would like to attend earlier in the day.

The Devolution Revolution discussion was lively, with some very interesting points of view, especially from the Northern Irish MYPs, who live in an area with a devolved government.

However, the next thing on our agenda was dinner, and no one was going to be late for that.

Later, when the clock struck 8pm, the doors to the hall were opened... to silence. MC CLI’s silent disco was the talk of the evening, and lots of people really enjoyed themselves. Some people went to the Democracy Cinema, and others went to the actual disco held in the Student Union block – everyone was having some fun after a long day’s work!

After breakfast on our last full day, Sunday, I attended the session called Get On Board. This was all about the UKYP’s manifesto pledge that young people should get a fair fare when using buses. We discussed what we’d achieved so far and how the service was for our constituents. It was really interesting hearing about the differences between services in different areas – which sums up one of the best things about UKYP: hearing what life is like for young people all over the country.

Some areas had subsidised bus services already whilst others were on the brink of changing theirs following successful campaigns – a very interesting talk indeed.

Next event on the agenda: the biggest debate of them all – The Great Debate, all about votes at 16.

It was a really lively debate, with MYPs standing up and voicing their opinions. At the end, the motion was voted down, though, mainly because of the lack of political education in schools and because lowering the voting age to 16 would mean other campaigns, such as the one to raise the child threshold on buses to 18, would be made unlikely.

Easily one of the many highlights of the amazing weekend was going to the Parliament buildings at Stormont. We got to go into the main entry hall and hear a speech by a representative of the Northern Irish Assembly and Youth Forum, which was brilliant. After this, we had a massive group picture taken on the steps of Stormont – something none of us will ever forget.

On the way back, as part of the South West region, we were given the company of Dennis, our bus driver. He gave us a fantastic tour of the city, with folk songs and interesting trivia, such as how, on the way out of Stormont, the road markings point both left and right, when actually you can only turn right on the way out.

Finally, to conclude a great day, was UKYP’s Got Talent!, a really varied talent show with some really good acts – such as an impression of Ricky Gervais and Michael McIntyre, among others.

Monday’s first item was to hear a few keynote speeches – with the first from Tim Loughton, of the Department of Children and Families, and the next by Robin Newton, of the Northern Irish Assembly.

Our final speaker of the weekend, Gill Hicks, was a greatly moving and inspirational one. She is the founder of the charity MAD for Peace and a survivor of the 7/7 bombings. Following the loss of her legs, she told us how she had coped with it and what impact it had made upon her life. At the end, she was given a standing ovation.

Now, our packed weekend was about to end, with packed bags.

Before going on the way back to the airport, many hugs and exchange of contact details took place, for so many great friendships had been made that weekend.

Touching down back at Bristol Airport, I can only look back on that great weekend and smile.

By Kevin Emsley, Member of the Youth Parliament for North Wiltshire