Three young politicians from across the north-west of England have called on the government to rethink plans to axe the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP).
The parliament – which has more than 300 elected members aged between 11 and 18 – was established in 1999 to boost interest in politics among young people.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is not committed to funding the parliament beyond March 2027, leading to speculation it could close.
“Without UKYP, we are losing a role that young people trust, aspire to be and understand they have their support,” warned Poppy Williams.
“As the elected member for Knowsley, I have had young people reach out to me for support and advice.”
The 16-year-old said she had wanted to become a member of the UKYP to “show young people that no matter what accent they carry, the clothes that they wear and the household that they come from, their voices matter”.
She added: “I strongly believe, being from a place like Knowsley, youth voice is a necessity.
“It is one of the few chances we have to put our opinions out and create differences from them.”