Democracy Week (4th event) Ponteland Students Question Time debate

Votes at 16, the cost of further education, apprenticeships and the ability of young people to be heard and involved in a community were the issues of the day in brilliant public debate on Wednesday. The event was organised by the groundbreaking Ponteland Community Partnership, with help from some great local sponsors and Dan Brown from my Westminster office  
Three issues were debated at length with the 6 person panel:
- Should we lower the voting age to 16: the room was split almost 50/50 with a small majority in favour to my eye on a show of hands.
- Has University or further education become too expensive?
- Does the gap between the young and old prevent the young having a voice in Ponteland?
The stars of the show unquestionably were the 3 local students from Ponteland High School who spoke really well. Dan is a former Ponteland High School head boy and he chaired the event superbly. Most of all my thanks to everyone who came along, and the Ponteland Community Partnership,who are leading the way across Northumberland

The Weekend Read: Votes at 16 - a good idea? Parliament discusses

Last month I held a debate in Ponteland where all 4 local High Schools debated whether to let 16 year olds have the vote. The blog report is here:  http://guyopperman.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/northumberland-schools-parliamentary.html
Subsequently this was reported at length in the Hexham Courant and Morpeth Herald and Pont News and Views.
Two weeks ago there was 90 minute debate in the Commons on this issue. I could not stay for all the debate but the link to it is here: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2014-05-06a.1.0&s=speaker%3A24962#g14.0
I asked several questions of various speakers but the key one is here:
"I held a debate involving four high schools—Haydon Bridge, Ponteland, Prudhoe and Hexham—on that particular issue last month. It was won by Ponteland high school, whose students proposed the motion for 16-year-old voting, and who also swayed quite an elderly audience—with respect to them. I accept that my hon. Friend is my former boss, and normally I would obey everything he says, but on this issue, does he not accept that to a degree, whether or not the argument is won today, the tide is beginning to turn a little?"
The debate is good and I am moving form being against the idea to being persuaded, like the audience marginally in Ponteland, to be in favour.