THE next generation of potential politicians will have a chance to quiz Warrington Borough Council leader Terry O’Neill tonight (Thursday) as part of Local Democracy Week.
Young people from IMPACT (formerly Warrington Youth Council) will meet Cllr O’Neill and other executive board members at Warrington Youth Café in Buttermarket Street at 6.30pm to discuss some of the issues facing young people in the borough.
The special meeting is one of a series of local democracy week events taking place in Warrington, aimed at engaging young people in local politics and giving them the chance to air their views and speak to local councillors.
Warrington Council’s executive board member for personnel and communications, Cllr Hitesh Patel, said: “To fully represent the interests of all residents it’s vital that we as councillors are not seen as distant but are connecting with, and listening to, younger people.
“These events to mark local democracy week give us an opportunity to do just that. However, it’s about more than just one-off events – we want to promote local democracy in all the work we do, every day.
“I’m really pleased that we are working with IMPACT to explore a number of issues around democracy, hold discussions and share ideas. They are a really valuable group for Warrington, and we will continue to work with them to help bridge the gap and make democracy relevant to young people.”
During next week, members of IMPACT will join executive board member Cllr Tony Higgins for a ‘ward walkabout’ around Fairfield and Howley, to see for themselves some of the issues facing local councillors.
In addition, IMPACT will join Cllr Russ Bowden, executive board member for corporate finance, for a live broadcast on community station Radio Warrington. They’ll discuss the council’s budget and spending challenges before the phone lines are opened up to give local people the opportunity to get involved in the debate and ask questions.
The council will be carrying out more work and developing new ideas in the coming months to engage citizens in local democracy. Keep an eye out for more information on the council’s website www.warrington.gov.uk
