Stephen has attended a meeting with two young people as part of The Big Issue’s “Wellbeing Week”, to discuss their perspectives on the major policy issues affecting their futures.
The short conversation focussed on sustainability and climate change. Both young people felt those were the key issues facing their generation, and put forward their policy ideas to tackle these challenges. They explained their passion to see a politics which is led by long-term thinking, not short-term election cycles.
The meeting was organised as the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill makes its way through Parliament. The Bill will ensure that all non-devolved public bodies, including the UK Government, work to prevent problems - including global warming and poverty - from happening. It proposes creating a ‘future generations test’ for all new policy changes, sets up a Joint-Committee on Future Generations in Parliament, and requires budgets to measure and increase their preventative spending.
At the end of the conversation, Stephen asked the young people if they were optimistic for the future. In turn, they asked Stephen the same question. He responded: “It can sometimes be hard to find the grounds for optimism. However, I am optimistic. I think that, somehow, we will be able to work together to find a way through the challenges that face us. Speaking with young people such as yourselves gives me real hope.”