Nineteen members of Haringey Youth Council addressed the borough’s Full Council on 12 October, raising issues including mental health, safety, discrimination, special educational needs and disabilities, education, jobs and financial literacy. Councillors then unanimously backed a motion to preserve the youth body and strengthen young people’s participation in local democracy.
Motion backs youth representation
The motion, proposed by Cabinet Member for Children and Schools Georgia Twigg, commits the council to continuing support for the Youth Council, facilitating future elections and consulting young people on issues affecting their lives. It also welcomes the Government’s plan to extend voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds, while the legislation remains before Parliament.
The decision followed a session in which young representatives presented their concerns directly to councillors. The motion goes beyond preserving the group: it also calls for young people to be encouraged to take part in democratic processes and local and national decision-making.
Among its practical commitments, the motion supports democratic education and voter engagement across the borough. It says a cross-party group of councillors should organise annual visits to secondary schools and sixth forms, subject to the agreement of school leaders and governors and compliance with council and school procedures. The visits are intended for pupils in Year 9 and above.
Plans include continued consultation
The motion also sets out steps linked to the proposed change in voting age. It asks officers to monitor the progress of the Representation of the People Bill and advise councillors on its implications once the Government confirms the legislative framework and implementation arrangements. It commits the council to supporting the Electoral Registration Officer in preparing for changes, including ensuring suitable resources are available for any new statutory duties.
Engagement is intended to involve schools, colleges, youth organisations, the Youth Council and other relevant groups. The council says it will continue to listen to young people and seek the Youth Council’s views, including outside formal Full Council meetings where issues are relevant. It also calls for senior decision-makers, such as cabinet members or senior officers, to meet the Youth Council and discuss matters affecting young residents.
The bill’s final provisions are not settled. The agenda material notes it is still at committee stage in the House of Lords and cautions that its eventual detail cannot yet be confirmed. The council’s support for extending the vote is therefore a political endorsement of the proposal, not confirmation that the change has already taken effect.
A youth forum developed over several years
The motion describes work to build youth representation that began with schools, youth groups and youth forums in 2022. A Youth Panel and the Elevated Youth SEND Forum were established in 2024. In October 2025, a youth election process led to the formal creation of the Haringey Youth Council.
The council describes the Youth Council as representing people aged 11 to 18, as well as young people with special educational needs and disabilities up to the age of 25. Its role is to give young residents a way to influence local services, policies and priorities. The unanimous vote now renews the council’s stated support for that structure and its future elections.
For young people, the motion establishes a route for continued consultation and contact with elected representatives. Its commitments include keeping the Youth Council in place, making space for future elections and encouraging democratic participation. Delivery of the school visits, ongoing meetings and any preparations for changes to voter registration will depend on the arrangements described in the motion and, where relevant, the final legislation.
