Monday May 11th 2020
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Luke Jackson
Owen Thompson MP will be working with Midlothian based Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) to answer Covid-19 questions from young people in a youth-led Q and A session.
Owen is participating in an hour-long virtual question time session on Thursday May 14th from 2pm which is open to any young people in the area.
Owen said:-
“We know the pandemic has had a massive impact on the lives of young people, although sometimes this can be overlooked as we focus on protecting the most vulnerable and older generations.
“The closure of schools, colleges and universities has had a devastating effect on the education of thousands of young people. Many are still struggling for support and understandably worried about what happens next. Some may be in difficult home situations or struggling financially as they lost their jobs and don’t qualify for support from universal credit.
“The lockdown has taken away liberties and shut down social lives – this will be fiercely felt by the younger generation and will undoubtedly affect people’s mental health and wellbeing.
“With normal lives turned upside-down, sometimes people don’t know where to turn for guidance. As a local politician I want to find ways to be as accessible as possible during the lockdown and make sure young people’s voices are not lost.
“For this reason, I’m teaming up with Midlothian Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament to take part in a Q and A, led by and for young people. I will be there to listen to the concerns, answer any questions that are put to me and take forward any issues where I don’t have the answer.
“I invite any young people in the area to get in touch and join us on the day.”
For more information or to take part contact Owen (owen.thompson.mp@parliament.
