2nd November

Oona King Set to Advise the PM on Youth Engagement
Former Labour MP Oona King has been made a political adviser to Prime Minister Gordon Brown on re-engaging young people, CYP Now can reveal.  She will head a campaign to re-engage people with their community with a focus on generating ideas to involve young people.  King's appointment follows her Battle to Engage report on young people and democracy, which charity 4Children launched at the Labour Party conference in September.  Her report recommended a new system of youth mayors be introduced to stem the trend of 'anchorless and disengaged' young people.  King also said teenagers should have the right to vote from the age of 16, every area should have a youth fund, and candidates for political office should produce youth manifestos to be distributed through schools and youth clubs.

The former Bethnal Green and Bow MP, who lost her seat to Respect's George Galloway in the 2005 general election, took up the post three weeks ago, but the appointment has been kept quiet.

Source: Children & Young People Now