Blackpool’s new MYP on mental health, equality, fair wages, and why tuition fees should be scrapped

The Blackpool Sixth Form student, who lives in Anchorsholme, came into the MYP role on March 1 following a landslide victory in the Make Your Mark campaign, winning 70 per cent of votes from local young people.

His successful manifesto appealed to voters on four major political topics: mental health, equality, education and tuition fees, and fair wages at work.

He will also focus on addressing the three main political issues children voted for nationally, as well as locally, working alongside his peers at Blackpool Youth Council and MPs Paul Maynard and Scott Benton.

He said: “I want to talk to MPs and make sure they take mental health seriously, and take it to the highest degree possible. I will be having meetings with them and I want them to help me push the campaigns that we will be doing at Blackpool Youth Council, such as the ‘i Am’ campaign (supporting Children’s Mental Health Week).

"I have been a mental health ambassador for CAMHS for the past four or five years, and we see that CAHMS has a very negative name.One in 10 children aged five to 16 has a mental health problem. I want to see better funding for these services, and for a better, smoother transition from child to adult mental health services. Right now, as soon as a patient turns 18, it’s like they are left to drop off the face of the earth.”

As MYP, Connor hopes to act as a link between young people and their local MPs, representing their collective voice on a wider political stage with a special focus on underrepresented groups, including disabled people and members of the LGBT and BAME communities.

Speaking about his other goals, Connor, 18, said: “For education, according to research by the YMCA 44 per cent of young people are concerned about their education, which is less than half but more than it should be. Young people today have to prepare high quality university applications while having their previous academic years impacted massively by Covid-19.

"I won’t beat around the bush with Covid-19; it’s not something we can simply ignore. Covid-19 has changed the way of everything and we have got to work alongside Covid-19 and what it has done, and that’s something I want to look at – how to recover from that. If there’s ever been a time to change things, it’s now. We have the opportunity to start again.

"In time, hopefully university will be free, and tuition fees are abolished for everybody. Not everybody in Blackpool can afford to pay those fees back. They say it has no impact, but it affects your credit score, which impacts a lot of young people, especially when they are wanting to get their own house.

"The wage gap, too, is something I want to address. I personally find it disgusting. The hourly minimum wage for a 23-year-old is going up to £9.50 in April, but somebody who is under 18 will be on £4.81. They could do the same hours and the exact same job, but they are getting paid completely differently.

"I want to influence young people to stand up to these unfair employers. I want to make these injustices known.”

He added: “Not many people get the opporunity to have all young people as their consituents. Not may will gt the oportunity to go into schools and speak to young people about what they want to see change.

"When I was elected on that evening it was very overwhelming, especially when I heard that it was a 70 per cent majority. I knew that I wanted to be MYP for a very long time.

"As MYP, I have got to be neutral and I have got to work all sides of politics, and that’s what it’s really all about. I’m very excited to get started properly.”

Connor made his first official appearance as MYP at a celebration of National Women’s Day at Blackpool Sixth Form College on Tuesday, March 8.

He took over from former MYP Andrew Speight, who is moving on to a youth advisor role at Blackpool Council with a special focus on creating strategies to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the resort.

READ: Blackpool's youngest politician shares vision of brighter future as he takes up Council job

Andrew said: “It has been an immense honour and privilege to serve as an MYP over the past three years, during an era of terrible turbulence and upheaval. I would like to thank everyone who has supported and worked with me in any way shape or form over the past three years - I really do feel it and appreciate it.

“I'm very lucky to be able to continue as a steering group representative, lending my experience to improve the programme for the new cohort of MYPs. I'd like to thank the exemplary North West MYPs who I served alongside who voted to keep me in that position.”

He added: “There is no one better for the job than Connor. He's passionate, intelligent and capable, and has a proven track record of standing up for Blackpool's young people.”

Thank you for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here