Politics Summer School 2026

On 28 August I held my second Politics Summer School, which was hosted at Truro College. 28 young people aged 15 – 19, living or studying in the Truro and Falmouth constituency, spent the day learning how politics works and how they can get involved in public life.

Attendees heard about the work of MPs and councillors, took part in a cross-party panel discussion chaired by University of Exeter lecturer Katya, and met local journalists to learn about the role of media in democracy and accountability. We also welcomed Simon Neild, videographer and presenter at Falmouth community radio station Source FM, who ran a session on the different forms of media, the role of film and photography in political communication, and the value of stories that matter to local communities.

My favourite part was the mock parliamentary debate on the recent social media ban for under-16s. I stood in as Speaker and listened to some fantastic speeches from young people who grew in confidence throughout the day. Their debating skills were as good as many MPs!

As the Representation of the People Bill reaches its final stages in Parliament, which could lower the voting age to 16, it feels more important than ever to help young people understand how our democracy works and how they can make their voices heard