Monmouthshire County Council celebrated European Democracy Week by inviting youngsters from around the county to grill councillors in a political speed dating session.
Having scrutinised councillors the young people engaged in a mock vote to decide their most popular choice, reinforcing the importance of voting and encouraging participation in the future.
Youngsters also took part in workshops looking at the variety of methods available for voices to be heard on a local and national level. One session examined the power of social media, highlighting the Facebook and Twitter sites that Monmouthshire employs to engage with residents. Later, young people from Monmouthshire’s Youth Service gave a presentation of their recent trip to the European Parliament.
One young person commented: “The most useful part for me was the political speed dating as it helped me understand more about local councillors. Meeting councillors and being given a chance to express opinions was really good”.
Council leader Peter Fox who played a prominent part in the event said: “This was a very rewarding event that will enable our young people to achieve a better grasp of the democratic process. I was very impressed by the questions they posed and I have to say, they gave me rather a tough time! All of us look forward to the next European Democracy Week”.
