A student and aspiring politician has been appointed a deputy member of the Westmorland and Furness Youth Parliament.
Thomas Colquhoun of Chetwynde School successfully campaigned for his seat and was voted in by other pupils from schools around Furness.
The Youth Parliament is a non-party political body where 11–18-year-olds represent the views of the area’s young people at a regional and national level.
Thomas says he's looking forward to working with a ‘brilliant team’ of other members and deputies and to be the voice of change for young people across his area.
Thomas said: “I thought why not apply for it as I want to be a politician.
“I feel rather proud that my campaign was a big success and gratitude to the supporters who voted for me in the election.
“I hope to make free speech more than just a dream.
"People want to speak their minds but don’t have the power to.
“I wish people could speak their minds more freely and more frequently.
“We can have a respectful discussion and at the same time disagree with each other, but the purpose of that is that we don’t have to hide our opinions.”
His role will last two years, with Thomas working with others on matters such as raising awareness of social media's dangers and how it affects youngsters’ mental health.
The Youth Parliament will also highlight awareness around autism and neuro-divergence in schools, promote road safety for young people, and champion careers in the tech industry.
Sian Huck, head of humanities at Chetwynde School, said: “Everyone was really proud of his achievement.
“Thomas had to write a manifesto and deliver a speech via Teams to try and gain votes from schools around Furness. He did a brilliant job speaking passionately about giving young people a voice in politics.”
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