Outgoing Youth MP says it's a 'kick in the teeth' when young people don't realise they have a representative

Did you know that Peterborough has a youth MP? Do you know who she is or what she does?

Engaging young people with her work is one of the biggest challenges of the role, outgoing youth MP Eva Woods says.

“It’s always a bit of a kick in the teeth when you get round to election season and notice how many young people don’t realise they have a youth councillor and a youth MP to represent them,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

But she’s worked hard over the past two years to raise the profile of the youth MP role with local politicians, she said.

“More people are consulting us but young people themselves don’t necessarily know that those representatives are always out there speaking for them,” she said.

“What I’d really like to see for the next group of youth representatives is more support and more time dedicated to engaging with young people.”

Campaigning for the upcoming youth MP elections, held from 22–29 February, is underway.

Eva will have two replacements: because of the city’s population growth, Peterborough now qualifies for a pair of youth MPs.

Role is 'exciting but hard-going'

The role has been “exciting but hard-going”, Eva says. Open to all 11 to 18-year-olds, it’s “what you make of it”.

“Somewhere in the country there’s probably an 11-year-old who spends an hour a month on this,” she said.

“But for me it looks like lots of events and meetings and networking because I really set my sights on, as well as the particular campaigns I wanted to focus on, trying to get the word out with decision makers.”

Eva led campaigns on young people’s rights in the workplace, connecting them to employment and training opportunities and sexual harassment in schools.

After talking to pupils at 12 schools in Peterborough, she provided recommendations to headteachers on how they could help tackle it.

Youth MPs also meet in the House of Commons once a year.

“We’re the only group of people besides elected MPs who are allowed to sit on the green benches and speak, which is pretty cool,” Eva said.

Young people 'still don't want to stay in Peterborough'

One of the biggest issues facing young people in Peterborough is the city’s image, she believes.

There’s a “narrative that there’s nothing to do in Peterborough; there’s nothing on offer here for us”, she said.

“Young people in certain parts of the city still don’t feel like it’s somewhere they want to stay and feel comfortable because of the levels of crime,” she added.

But she’ll keep working on improving outcomes for youngsters in her job in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority careers hub.

The 18-year-old is also undertaking an internship with Peterborough City Council’s safer communities team.

Eva says she’d like to keep working on local government in future and is looking at apprenticeships in the area.

“I won’t be going far; I’ll be working in Peterborough in the local government sphere for the foreseeable future,” she said.

But because she’s no longer at school – she became youth MP while a pupil at Nene Park Academy – she feels that the elections have come at a good time.

“I don’t feel like I’m able to be an advocate for young people any more because I spend my days eating ratatouille with 50 year olds,” she said.

“I don’t really have a young person’s lifestyle any more. I think it’s going to bring a breath of fresh air to the role when someone who’s actually still at school takes it on.”

Her advice to local politicians is to “try to think how you can help them rather than how they can help you” she said.

They should also “follow through” on their commitments to engage with young people and ensure they have a voice in the city,” she said.