WHILE the House of Commons is currently home to fierce Brexit debate, the chambers were recently full of possible leaders of tomorrow as the Youth Parliament got into full swing.

At the end of last year, three Wiltshire young people travelled to London for the day to represent their county.

Joel Mutagayika, who represents East Wiltshire, Maisy Humphreys, who represents Wiltshire West, and Kerl Smithson, who represents Wiltshire North, caught the early train to the capital for the annual House of Commons debate.

Speaking to the Children’s Select Committee meeting this week, Joel, 18, described their day in which they debated on topics voted by one million young people though the Make Your Mark campaign.

A total of 1,111,580 young people voted across the country on the top five issues that are important for young people at the moment.

Over 4,000 votes were cast in Wiltshire.

They were knife crime, homelessness, the voting age, mental health and equal pay.

Joel, who also went to the Members of the Youth Parliament convention in Exeter in October, said: “There were more than 300 young people from all over the country who came to parliament for the day.

“We met John Bercow, who said that he likes Youth Parliament more than normal because we care more about making a change, we are apolitical.

“We voted to make knife crime the number one issue we wanted to work on.

“Mental health is also a big thing, it can make a big difference in a young person’s life, especially when aged 17 or 18 when they are sitting their A-levels like me. There is a lot of pressure put on us and a lot of expectation. Equal pay was also another issue that we discussed.

“I have been paid less than someone who is 19 because I am 17, getting £4 more than me and I don’t get it, it isn’t right.”

Chairman of the committee, which met in County Hall in Trowbridge, Cllr Jon Hubbard said: “It is fantastic and I am so jealous of your experience in parliament that day. Thank you for representing Wiltshire in this way.”

The group also discussed whether the voting age should be lowered to 16 and homelessness.

Arguments both for and against lowering the voting age were heard throughout the day, that also included a visit form Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, which, according to Joel, divided the group.

The teenagers regularly meet with other young people in Wiltshire as part of the newly named Wiltshire Youth Union.

Members from all over the county decided on the new name after voting between it and another choice, the Wiltshire Youth Forum.

This year 5 candidates are standing this for election in the three constituency areas of North, West and East Wiltshire. Each candidate has prepared an election manifesto and video, to be found at:www.wiltshire.gov.uk/children-young-people-voice. Voting opens on February 11.