Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Political Literacy: Young People

Thursday 22 April 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Electoral Commission promotes public awareness of UK electoral systems.
  • The commission works with teachers and youth leaders to increase political literacy.
  • The Electoral Commission publishes resources to help young people assess online information.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Vicky Foxcroft Lab Lewisham North
Democracy & Elections
Context

Following the extension of voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds in Scotland and Wales, there is a need for increased political literacy among young voters.

Question

What steps the Electoral Commission is taking to increase levels of political literacy among young people. The Electoral Commission has an important duty to promote public awareness of the UK's electoral systems. Following the extension of the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds in Scotland and Wales, and ahead of next month's elections, the commission has been working with teachers and youth leaders to support citizenship education.

Answer from Chris Matheson

The Electoral Commission has an important duty to promote public awareness of the UK's electoral systems. Following the extension of the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds in Scotland and Wales, and ahead of next month's elections, the commission has been working with teachers and youth leaders to support citizenship education and has shared newly developed education resources for young people in Scotland and Wales. These resources will be extended to cover young audiences in England and Northern Ireland later this year. Alongside that, the commission has developed a new public awareness campaign and online information hub to increase public understanding of political campaigning carried out online.

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Q2 Vicky Foxcroft Lab Lewisham North
Democracy & Elections
Context

Shout Out UK highlights the importance of political and media literacy in combating misinformation, conspiracy theories, and low levels of media literacy.

Question

Considering the excessive harm we have seen caused by misinformation, conspiracy theories and low levels of media literacy, how can the Electoral Commission collaborate with organisations working to counter misinformation in order to fulfil its remit to ensure the integrity of the democratic process?

Answer from Chris Matheson

The commission has recently published political literacy resources to include a module on online campaigning, which provides structured suggestions to help young people assess the information they see online. The commission has collaborated with a range of partners to develop those resources, including teachers, organisations supporting citizenship education, the Scottish and Welsh Governments and their respective Education Departments.

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