Worksop students meet with MEP Rory Palmer to discuss their views on Brexit

Rory Palmer, MEP for East Midlands meets students at Outwood Post 16 Centre

The visit saw him return to his hometown, having grown up in Worksop and attended the former Hartland School, to find out what young people think about Brexit and the Government’s handling of it so far.

The post-16 students used the roundtable to talk to Rory Palmer about the future deal between the UK and EU, votes at 16, and the challenges associated with “fake news”.

The young people also quizzed Rory Palmer about his work as an MEP representing Worksop and the wider region.

The meeting comes as part of Rory Palmer’s Brexit: State of Play (East Midlands) project that is seeing him engage with stakeholders from different sectors across the region to put together a vision of what the best possible Brexit deal for the East Midlands looks like.

Commenting after the meeting, Rory Palmer MEP said: “It was good to be in Worksop for a really interesting, constructive discussion about what Brexit means and the outcome young people want to see.

“It’s clear that students at Outwood have strong views about the future of the country – we need to make sure that young people across the East Midlands are given a voice.

“Brexit is one of the biggest political events for generations – we can’t afford to ignore the hopes and concerns of young people and the impact it will have on them.

“The Government must do more to engage with young people, find ways of allowing them to input into the Brexit process and make sure that they do not feel disillusioned by a decision they were given no say in.

“The discussion with young people in Worksop has reinforced my view that 16 and 17-year-olds should be given the right to vote, and that the Government must find a way of giving young people a say in the final Brexit deal. This does not mean a second referendum, but a way of ensuring that young people are engaged and feel part of such a monumental decision for the future of our country.”

Rory Palmer will be releasing a report in late March pulling together the different messages and themes from different stakeholders, and using this vision of the best deal for the East Midlands to influence negotiators in both the UK and EU.