Political education should be more available says Lagan Valley MLA Honeyford

Mr Honeyford said: “Youth participation in politics has been on a decline in recent years. Many young people feel disconnected, disengaged, and sceptical about the impact they can have on the political landscape, especially at a time when there is no effective government in Northern Ireland.

“I recently had a Year 13 student, James Hamber, from Friends School in Lisburn, do his work experience in my office and he developed a project on youth disinterest in politics, focusing on understanding the root causes of this disinterest and to find potential solutions. The results will certainly change how I engage with young people.”

James said: “We gathered data from a wide range of young people across Northern Ireland, asking them about their thoughts, concerns, and aspirations regarding politics. It was an eye-opening experience, and the results were both surprising and revealing.

“One of the key findings from our survey was that young people often feel disconnected from political processes due to a lack of understanding about how politics impacts their everyday lives.

"Social media plays an increasing role in our lives, and our survey showed that politicians need to be aware of and able to use the newest platforms to reach new audiences.

“The survey showed no single reason for youth disinterest, with ‘General apathy’, ‘Lack of change”, ‘Political Tribalism’ and ‘Breakdown of Institutions’ the main responses.

“When asked what politicians could do to increase interest in politics, ‘Engage with the youth’ and ‘Co-operation within politics’ were the main solutions offered.”