• The Big Intro
• Who's listening?
• Economy A-Z
• Fuel for Thought
• More resources
• The Economy Quiz

Who's listening?

Mark Todd MP

Mark is a Member of the Treasury Select Committee and he had this message for you in advance of the HeadsUp forum:

'Sorting out loans, credit cards, insurance, mortgages is a lot tougher than when I was young. The choice is appears huge. Marketing language sells the product but doesn't explain it. Financial education is vital. Yet in my experience we still send young people out of education ill-prepared for the financial jungle outside. I'd like your views on the support you get and what you think is missing.
 
Young people are also the main victims of the recession with youth employment rising fast. What do you think went wrong? Are we doing enough to prevent a repeat of these events? How do we return our economy to growth and full employment.
 
These are all issues that the Treasury Select Committee (I'm a member) is concerned with. We have the chance to question the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Governor of the Bank of England, bankers and regulators. Headsup gives me a chance to hear your views. I'm delighted to support it.'

Sally Keeble MP

Sally is a Member of the Treasury Select Committee and is looking forward to the debate on HeadsUp. Here's her message for you:

'Young people are right at the heart of the political debate now because of the impact of youth unemployment. That’s why I am very pleased to be taking part in this on-line debate and hope that you will let me know your views.

As a member of the powerful Treasury Select Committee I hold the Government to account for the way it handles the economy, and also get to interrogate the Governor of the Bank of England, the Chief Executives of Banks,  the bank regulators,  groups campaigning on poverty and international economists.  Here are some of the things we’re looking at:

• How will our public services be managed, will they be cut? If so will it be defence, education, health, international development?
• What’s the future for capitalism? What kind of society and economy will we have after the recession?
• How do we make sure we don’t  allow the recession to damage the prospects of a whole generation of young peopl
• What responsibility do the public have for the debt crisis? Do people need more information about handling their money?
• What should Government be doing to restore public trust?

You’ll be the decision makers of the future, so I want to hear your views. This is an excellent initiative  by the Hansard Society, and I look forward to a lively debate!'

Mark Prisk MP

Mark is the Shadow Buisness Minister and is looking forward to debating with you on HeadsUp. He has this message for you:

'With last week’s record figures of young adults in either employment or training, this debate could not be timelier. It is clear that young adults and school leavers are being hit hardest by the recession; with many finding it tough to secure their first or even second job. So I want to know from you, do you feel you have the skills to find your first job? If not, what more do you think can and should be done? How can the Government best help you, and what does it fail to do now?

As Shadow Business Minister I’m keen to encourage people of all ages to start and run their own business. I know this can be done at any age - from a paper round to selling magazines for a profit. Are you interested in starting your own business and why? Do you think you are taught enough about how to do this in school? Are you taught how to manage your money, or do you pick this up from family and friends? What more is there that you should be taught?

I am looking forward to reading both what you think is going well, and what needs to be improved.'

Christopher Chope MP

Christopher is really interested in financial matters and had this message for HeadsUp users:

'The credit crunch and the recent downturn in the economy have left us all with some hard questions to answer. The old system has now been widely discredited, but the minds of legislators and Government officials are now turning to the next steps. Difficult decisions lie ahead: what services should we cut, what should we protect and how can we ensure a better future for the country and its young people? Unemployment is rising, especially among the young, and we need to make sure that the next generation is not tarred by the mistakes of the former.
This is why it is vitally important for young people to be involved in this debate, as this issue will have serious repercussions for them in the future.
Beyond the details of the economic situation, however, a wider question needs answering. Is there any reasonable alternative to the capitalist system? Should we be looking for an entirely new way of running the economy? I look forward to reading the comments from the HeadsUp Forum.'

David Gauke MP

David is a Shadow Spokesperson for the Treasury and a Member of the Treasury Select Committee. Here is his message for HeadsUp users:
'The last two years have been very turbulent
 times for the economy and, because of rapidly rising youth unemployment, many young people have lost out as a consequence. I would be very interested to hear more on the HeadsUp forum of the real life experience of young people of the recession.  What has the impact been?  What support has been provided to young people to get into work?  What help is or is not effective?  How effective is our educational system in preparing young people for the challenges of a struggling economy?  Do we need to do more to raise economic literacy and, if so, what is the most effective way of doing this?

Anyone interested in political and economic matters must think hard about the lessons from the recession.  Have we, as individuals, become too dependent on debt?  How should we reform our banking system?  What is the role of regulation? 

We are faced with the Government borrowing more than at any other time in our peace-time history.  This is an issue which will have a huge impact on younger people as we enter a long period of restraint in public spending.  What are going to be the priorities in public spending for the next few years?  How do we ensure we get better value from our public services?  What should be the balance between spending cuts and tax rises?

For a long time, politics appeared to be remote and irrelevant from the lives of many people, particularly the young.  However, the recession has made it clear that there are big decisions ahead for the British people and it is vital that we get them right.  I look forward to reading the views expressed on the HeadsUp Forum to learn what you think.'

Jeremy Purvis MSP

Jeremy is a Member of the Scottish Parliament and is looking forward to hearing your views on the economy. He has this message for you:

'Understanding the economy has never been more important than it is today, particularly for young people. Some young people may feel disengaged from politics, and economic issues in particular; in the media we hear far more often from bankers and ‘expert financial analysts’ about the effects of the recession on everyday people than we hear from the people themselves, and young people specifically.

This is why the HeadsUp forum is particularly important. The economic crisis is changing the way our society understands the value of money by squeezing budgets across the country – worryingly the UK Government estimates that nearly 20% of young people are out of work.

I want to hear from you; what issues are you facing in today’s economy? be they finding a job, budgeting your expenses or learning to save and invest, I want to hear about them. I am also very interested in your ideas on what government can do to improve the position of young people in the economy. Young people like yourself are this country’s greatest resource and I look forward to learning from you in the HeadsUp forum.'

Emily Cantrell

Emily is from People and Planet and this is what she had to say to you about the state of the economy:

'I'm really looking forward to taking part in this Heads Up forum and hearing your thoughts and ideas.  I am Campaigns Manager at People & Planet.  People & Planet is a network of young people in schools, colleges and universities all over the UK campaigning to address big global issues such as poverty and climate change.

Young people in our network are feeling anxious about their futures:
getting a job, ending up in debt if they go to university but also global issues such as the impending impacts of climate change... But they also have clear ideas about the clean, safe and fair future they want to build.

We believe that our financial sector must start to work in our long-term best interests.  Our banks can't continue to be so reckless with our futures.  The UK banks so massively bailed out by the British public over the last 18 months are still misusing our money.  Not only through excessive executive bonuses but through massive support for fossil fuel extraction projects driving human rights abuses, conflict and climate change.

I look forward to engaging in this important debate on our economy and hearing your concerns and ideas for the future.'