I’m supporting UK Parliament Week, a nationwide festival taking place from 12-18 November which aims to engage people – especially young people – from different backgrounds and communities with the UK Parliament, and empower them to get involved.

UK Parliament Week is part of the UK Parliament’s Vote 100 programme, celebrating equal voting rights and other milestones in the UK’s democratic history. Other centenaries coming up this year include the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act which gave women over 21 the right to stand for election as an MP (21 November) and the 1918 General Election when women over 30 and all men over 21 voted for the first time (14 December).

It’s so important to ensure that our voters and citizens of tomorrow understand how vital their participation is in our democracy.

In 2017, UK Parliament Week reached more than 360,000 people, with over 4,500 events. This year’s UK Parliament Week festival is the largest ever and will see more than 7,000 registered events with over 500,000 people taking part. Participating organisations include Scouts, Girlguiding, and the British Youth Council.