What do young people want from Europe? - 3 Apr, 2006

Latest HeadsUp forum survey suggests:

• 55% say ‘No' to the Euro
• British first rather than European
• Approved opening up Europe
• Called for balanced EU reporting
  
  
  

Under-18s made their voices heard in a Hansard Society online debate - The EU...what is its future in your eyes? The forum ran from February 27 to March 17, 2006 at www.headsup.org.uk

Over a three week period, the young people made four main pleas to decision-makers and to society in general:

• 55% of participants pledged their support for the pound and did not want Britain to adopt a single European currency.

• Most participants did not feel European. Many stated an allegiance to one of the home nations or Britain first, which was then followed by a diluted notion of feeling part of the EU.

• Participants were full of praise for the EU for opening up Europe giving excellent opportunities for people to broaden their horizons by travelling and working in other member states.

• Participants made a direct plea to the media to report accurately and fairly on all matters relating to the EU. They said that this reporting contributed to misunderstanding of EU-related issues.

This forum has attracted online involvement from a record number of key decision-makers including relevant MPs and MEPs:

• Douglas Alexander MP - Minister of State for Europe
• Graham Brady MP - Shadow Minister of State for Europe
• Nick Clegg MP* - Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign and Commonwealth office
• Eluned Morgan MEP - Labour MEP, Wales
• Jean Lambert MEP* - Green MEP, London
• Glenys Kinnock MEP* - Labour MEP, Wales
• Tom Wise MEP - UKIP MEP, Eastern Region
• Robert Evans MEP - Labour MEP, London
• Christine Burton - from the UK office of the European Parliament
• Gisela Stuart MP* - Member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee

*These parliamentarians provided a statement of support before the debate began and have been asked to respond to this report.

Barry Griffiths, HeadsUp Project Manager, commented: "This EU debate contained some extremely passionate and well-argued views on all sides of the EU debate. The fact that there is still such negative EU coverage in the media only highlights the dilemma that a lot of questions still remain unanswered around the Euro and not feeling European."

HeadsUp is a vital resource for teaching the political literacy element of the Citizenship Curriculum. In addition to the forum where school students explore and debate the political issues and ideas that matter to them, there are teachers' notes, ideas for classroom activities and background information all available on the HeadsUp website.

Young people who took part in this HeadsUp Forum are available for interview
For more information contact Virginia Gibbons, Communications Manager at the Hansard Society on 0207 438 1225, 07812 765 552 or mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk

Editors' Notes

• HeadsUp (www.headsup.org.uk) is an innovative website where under-18s debate political issues and processes. The site is fast becoming established as a non-partisan, cross-party educational resource that provides a secure, structured and student-centred discussion platform.
• Now two ways to register to participate in HeadsUp:
  Young People - If you are under 18 and want to get involved you need to email us at info@headsup.org.uk. We will then email you back with your unique username and password. Once you're registered you can take part wherever and whenever you want.
• Teachers - can register a whole class/school year/group by completing our online registration form
• For the first time, this HeadsUp forum was open to all to view and follow the debate. This will benefit many young people, teachers and parliamentarians as they will now be able to ‘try before they buy' and observe the dynamic of the debates without being registered. Participants will still need to register or login to post comments.
• The project is jointly funded by the DfES (Department for Education and Skills) and the House of Commons.
• A summary report detailing young people's contributions has been distributed to FCO officials, government ministers, MPs and relevant all-party groups in Parliament.
• If anyone experiences any problems with the HeadsUp registration process please contact Barry Griffiths on 020 7438 1214.
• HeadsUp is an integration of the Hansard Society's work in Citizenship and eDemocracy.
• 3250 individuals are currently registered with HeadsUp.
• HeadsUp was conceived and developed by the Hansard Society with technical and design support from Glasgow-based digital design agency, Dog Digital (www.dogdigital.co.uk).
• The Hansard Society is an independent, non-partisan educational charity, which exists to promote effective parliamentary democracy.