Havering elects two new Members of Youth Parliament
Two new young people have been voted in to represent Havering in the UK Youth Parliament.
Curtis Tobbs and Uno Borlasa are the new Members of Youth Parliament for Havering.
Young people, aged 11-18 from across the borough, voted during February 2022 on the candidates manifestoes and pledges.
The results were announced at Havering Town Hall in Romford.
More than 9,000 votes were counted – over 2,300 votes more than the previous elections in 2020.
The candidates had campaigned on issues such as:
- tackling hate and knife crime
- ending rubbish pollution
- preparing pupils for life after school
- getting young people involved in the Covid recovery plan
- making school uniform gender-neutral
- reducing the stress of GCSE exams
Outgoing Member Aliyyah Gbadamosi joined Councillor John Mylod, Mayor of Havering at the ceremony to announce the winning candidates. The Mayor said how much he enjoyed the event and praised the candidates for their enthusiasm to make change.
Newly elected members, Curtis Tobbs 15, and Uno Borlasa 14, thanked everyone who voted for them.
Curtis said: “I’m looking forward to putting my pledges in action and making them happen because young people are important and we need to showcase that. I can help them improve their mental health by putting certain measures in place.”
Uno said: “I am still trying to process it, but I am really happy that I got this role and to have this opportunity to serve the young people, my generation, the Havering youth.”
The UK Youth Parliament provides opportunities for 11-18-year-olds to use their voice to bring about social change.
They organise events and projects, run campaigns and influence decision-makers on the issues that matter most to young people in Havering.
The new members will take up their positions on March 1 and will also be invited to meet the Council’s Leader and the Cabinet to outline their plans.
Councillor Benham, Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Families, said:
“It’s been an exciting and interesting election which has shown the depth of interest our young people have in the issues that they and the wider community face.
“My congratulations go out to the new Members of Youth Parliament who have a great opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of young people. I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to stand and also to vote on these important issues.”