YOU had loads to say in our Junior General Election – here are some of your comments!

ON BREXIT:

• Although many of the other topics concern me deeply, Brexit is the topic that has dominated talks for years. Looking at the reasons for why Brexit is good it shocks me to how Brexit is still a topic. I have since written speeches and debates on why Brexit is bad which have been received to great avail and my entire family supports my view and we have marched and campaigned together.
• I think that the trade deals are very important not only to the economy of the UK but also peoples jobs and daily lives. also if article fifty goes ahead, then many people of many cultures will have to leave and take out that part of the cultural diversity.
• Brexit needs to be done and the best option is the Conservative Party as they already have a deal. If any of the other parties come into power, they will have to revise a new deal or they will stop Brexit altogether. Even though I am not a supporter of Brexit, this country did vote to leave and if a party did want to stop it, they would be disobeying the population of the UK. This is not a what a government should do, they should support the views of the British people, instead of going against them.
• Because people from other countries make life more interesting and we get do many benefits from being in the EU. Also, if we get stay in the EU we can then focus on the climate change crisis.
• I think that if the UK stays in the EU, then we will have a bigger community and holidays to other parts of the EU will not be as expensive as they will be if we leave.
• If we get Brexit done we can deal with more important issues.
• It can change our country’s history, so like Boris Johnson says, “We need to get Brexit done!”
• I think that there are different sides of political opinions about Brexit and other similar things, like independence. I believe that MPs and MSPs should work together to solve these issues.
• We need to deliver on the result of the Brexit referendum and get Brexit done! Also, the Conservatives are the only party that can be trusted with the economy, the NHS and our security.
• It will affect me for the rest of my life. The environment is a close second for me but Brexit is even more relevant to me right now than Climate change.
• Brexit affects all of us young people and we had no say in it at all. It is reckoned that had 16 and 17 year olds been able to vote in 2016, we would have stayed in the EU. However, they couldn’t so now people who won’t even see us leave are forcing those of us to remain watch their wish happen rather than our own. By voting Liberal Democrat, we can reverse Brexit and allow us to have to have a future that we actually want to have.
• Because Brexit affects the supply and price of items overseas and is diminishing the workforce, our NHS is understaffed and people with healthcare problems are having trouble with medicine. A&E is underfunded and I have first hand experience of this as I have been sick recently. The chemists can’t stock enough medicines – two chemists didn’t have my prescription. As well as this, Brexit is costing a lot of money and distracting politicians from social issues such as climate change or refugees. I believe that Brexit infringes on all the other topics and even though I’m worried about every issue in the government, I believe Brexit has the most significant impact.
  
• Cause we NEED to leave the EU because we’re getting bossed around
• I strongly believe that Brexit is a terrible idea. We work so much better when we are united. Brexit will corrupt our NHS because lots of our doctors come from the EU. It will stop immigration, and that is a bad thing because it stops people from having better lives in the UK. It will also corrupt our diversity.
• Because Brexit can change how we trade goods from the EU and travelling inside the EU too.
  
• I chose the Liberal Democrats because Brexit has caused a big impact on Britain since 2016 when that General Election was.
• Because we need to break the deadlock in parliament and get on with more pressing issues such as climate change and knife crime.I don’t want labour in because they aren’t really able to do what they say they are and if we have free WiFi and things like that taxes will go up and there are already enough people in poverty as it is.

ON THE ENVIRONMENT/POLLUTION:

• Because it affects the whole planet and all the species on it
• This is important to me because the environment is braking and if we do not act fast the earth will come to an end. Also pollution is ruining our ocean so we need to do something.
• The environment is important to me as we need to stand up for our futures because this is an issue that will change our lives drastically. I care a lot about animals and I hope that leaders will take more action to reverse the science and save our amazing planet.
• I worry about my future a lot. As I can’t pick two most important things, I want to mention that BREXIT is also another big thing that I worry about.
• If we do not stop hurting the planet, my future will be rubbish!
• Although Brexit and animal cruelty are both huge issues that I could have chosen, I chose the environment/pollution because what’s happening to the environment at the moment is definitely the biggest issue. I feel that this is the biggest issue because the environment is the basis on which all of this even happened so we must protect it in order to sustain life.
• Because at school I am an Eco-Warrior, and I feel passionate about this cause. Thank you for your time.
• Because if we stop climate change then it will help with resolving the other issues such as health (NHS) and mental health.
• I want our generation to be the ones who saved it not lost it and also pollution is a big part of mental health issues these days. I mean some of the parties want to help universities and things like that, but thousands of children won’t reach the age to be able to go because of rising pollution levels is killing or disabling us.
• Because I have to live in this world after adults and clean up their mess.

ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING:

• I have seen more and more homeless people in my area, especially the city centre. I believe that in the 5th richest country in the world nobody should have to sleep on the streets. Providing more affordable housing would be a good step forward if we are to tackle the great injustice of homelessness in the UK.
• Because it would affect lots of other issues and it would mean that refugees could be housed better and it would be more affordable for students to go to university, meaning they could get a good education and help solve the climate crisis!
• Because some people want to live in a house instead of flats and it is important that housing is affordable. Being in the European Union makes us not have much money to spend on Health or affordable housing or even job chances however if Brexit achieves then many problems can be solved.

ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING:

• I have seen more and more homeless people in my area, especially the city centre. I believe that in the 5th richest country in the world nobody should have to sleep on the streets. Providing more affordable housing would be a good step forward if we are to tackle the great injustice of homelessness in the UK.
• My sisters best friend was homeless so it hit us.
• Some people cannot afford a house as it is too much money so they either have to live with a friend or if they don’t have one, they have to live on the streets and the streets are very dangerous and could eventually kill them so I am very concerned about affordable housing. I also want to move house as I didn’t pass my 11+ and there’s an unlikely chance of me getting into my favourite secondary school which is in another county so that means I can’t see my friends.
• Everyone needs a place to live

ON ANIMAL CRUELTY

• Because Animals Are Really Cute And I Love Them!!
• I’m concerned about animal cruelty since they have lives too but they can’t have their say. Many are force fed, slaughtered cruelly and left to starve. They’re also living creatures, right?
• Because animals have the same rights humans and don’t get a say in whether they want to be treated badly
• Rare and normal animals are dying out! By the time I’m 20 hedge boys may be wiped from the planet. No matter how small or how large, rare or common we have to save them! If we don’t do anything our beautiful and lively world will be dull, grey and lifeless except for humans. We have to act now!

ON HEALTH – DOCTORS, HOSPITALS AND DENTISTS

• I want to become a doctor or nurse for the NHS and from friends who have parents in the NHS don’t get treated fairly and don’t get a good pay cheque.
• I was born with cerebral palsy, which caused damage to my brain and makes it difficult for me to walk. I would not have survived birth without the help of the NHS, and their help over the years has been invaluable, especially the help I had in and out of the hospital to help me recover from a surgery I had last year. I believe Boris Johnson is not doing enough to help the NHS, and I strongly believe that Jeremy Corbyn will deliver on his promise to invest more in the NHS.
• A vast majority of people sadly can’t afford to go to private hospitals. The NHS is a huge part of our lives and very beneficial to us. It is important that the NHS gets high funding because otherwise many people could miss out on essential surgeries and treatments.
• It is important to me because the current leaders of parliament are going to take away the NHS and I know a lot of people and some are my family work at the NHS and the NHS saves lots of lives so I would really like to keep it.
• The NHS is very important and we are very lucky to have it. Many people would not be able to get medicine if it was not free.
• The NHS doesn’t have enough funding and I believe that everyone should have a right to a free healthcare service. I also strongly believe that you should keep private healthcare but not choose it over the NHS.

ON SCHOOLS

• This is important to me because Boris Johnson has done so many funding cuts on schools leaving many schools including my school on its knees and because of this we have to have are library in the corridor
• I think schooling is really important because all of the other topics can be supported by a certain job, but if the current young people in this world don’t get a decent education these job roles can’t be filled. All schools in the uk need more money supported from the government.
• I don’t want private schools to shut down or be more expensive if labour get the majority
• As I am in school and have always wanted to be a teacher, I think finding for schools is the most important factor because this means children have a better education and then can go onto do great things.

ON CRIME AND POLICING

• Because the police need more people to help them
• There is a lot of crime and everyone needs to be safe
• Terrible things are happening in Britain and keeping our country safe is a important concern that needs to be attended to. I am often hearing about unfortunate things on the news.
• I think this is really important because I hear news story’s every day about crime which concerns me. One of the reasons I am voting conservatives is because on their manifesto it says there will definitely be at least 20,000 more police on the street. It makes me annoyed that none of the other main parties have mentioned about making streets a safer place to walk around without crime occurring.
• This is important to me because there has been an increase in terrorist attack over the past few years. Recently there has been one that was absolutely terrible. My worries are that knife crime might increase to limits that are to deadly for words

ON UNIVERSITY, APPRENTICESHIPS AND OTHER FURTHER EDUCATION

• This is important to me because when I become the age to go to university I want to have free universities for me to go to.
• Everyone is always talking about how expensive universities are and that student debt is a huge problem. I think it’s unfair that uni students have to pay for their university tuition- we have a right to learn!

ON DEFENCE: NATIONAL SECURITY AND TERRORISM OPPORTUNITIES

• Because we need to make sure that our country is safe, and help countries in need around the world
• This country should not allow itself to get bullied. I would rather have a government that will invest more into our military – or at least protect its funding – than one that refuses to allow this country to remain as a forefront of the western world by preventing defence spending.
• I am really concerned about terrorism because I have heard about news story’s everyday about terrorism and crime which is really bad. That is one of the reasons I am voting conservatives as they are putting 20,000 more police on the street, and none of the other parties have mentioned about keeping our streets a safer place to walk around without crime occurring.
• There have been way too many terrorist attacks in England. They are especially happening in London. London is supposed to be an amazing place which attracts millions of tourists every year, but now some people are scared of going to London. This is why I think this topic is something the country needs to get rid of the most.

ON THE REFUGEE CRISIS

• Refugees are just like us but they are missing out on all the things that we have. While we are worrying about Brexit, refugees are starving and living in extreme poverty. They are missing out on an education and a happy healthy life.
• This is important to me as I believe no matter where you come from you should feel safe wherever you are Unfortunately, this so not the case and millions of people are suffering each day
• I would really like to vote when I’m older. Also, It’s important to get your voice heard, or else what ever you wanted to happen might not happen.
• Because I think everybody should have the chance to live where they want. And I want to live in a country where kindness is considered more important than hostility.

ON JOB CHANCES

• The next generation needs to have opportunities and to be able to do what the current adults do. We need ways to make money. As AI has taken other so many jobs
• Because the system I feel with class makes the rich to rich meaning there’s not enough money for jobs that can earn 40k to 50k and I think that’s unfair. I also believe that the average wage is too low as it is 27k. I found that there was a boy in my local estate who, due to austerity, didn’t have enough money for food and clothes and as he quotes, “all the nice things.” I believe that we should share the money. Why do I deserve Nike when he gets nothing. It’s important because what you see on the street is not what you see behind closed doors. They might not look like they are working hard but they are actually are.
• Everyone should get a chance to make money if not it could lead to much bigger problems.
• Because I want to have a really good life with a good job.

ON LOWERING THE VOTING AGE TO 16 INSTEAD OF 18

I chose this so more people can start voting at a young age because not many people can vote for things like Brexit and many other things. I also think this because people are getting annoyed about what other people are votings for and most of the people doing that are aged 16 or above

So more people have the chance to vote, not just the adults. As a child I would like to vote as children should be able to have a say in the future but understand some may be silly so there needs to be a minimum age of 7 or 8. Children should have a parent supervising their vote to stop them being silly. 

Why can old people who are going to die soon allowed to vote but young people who the outcome of the election is going to effect do my have any say?

ON MENTAL HEALTH

• I’ve struggled with my mental health, and had to wait for many months to receive support. This needs to change.
• Because mental health is just as important as physical health if not more important because physical health can be recognised by anyone mental will not be as easy to identify.

ON INTERNATIONAL AID

• I want to make sure that the world is equal and everyone has enough of everything.
• Our world is already an amazing place but unfortunately, lots of bad things happen in it to. We can do a lot to stop that.
• Because I like helping people. I am six.
• I think this is important because some poor people may not be able to afford medicines, everyone should get treated well and not only the rich get treated better than poor because everyone should be saved and be equal not only the rich. The rich are not special the poor are more special because they don’t have a home and they have no food or drink.

ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

• Because I want to keep peace between countries
• It’s important to me because I’m worried about World War III
• It is important to me because if we have people who are silly and irresponsible in power that lead to wars and fighting that doesn’t need to happen. If people in in charge take their power for granted they may not use it wisely. For example instead of putting money into the country (hospitals, police and people who need help), they might put it into things we don’t need. All in all i think it is important who is in power.
• It is important to me because I want people to get along with each other.

ON TRANSPORT

• Because myself and my brother don’t have enough money for buses.