Guernsey school girl Eva Redelinghuys held an audience of hundreds captivated as she spoke about the island’s declining birth rate and how it will affect our future economy in a special sitting of the UK’s Parliament.
She was asked to speak at the Youth Parliament on Friday.
This sitting gave students from further afield the chance to speak at the political heartbeat of UK governance, with students representing the other Crown Dependencies and overseas territories also invited.
The topic up for debate was chosen democratically with young people across the nation’s secondary schools voting on multiple topics, with ‘Jobs, the Economy and Benefits: Cost of Living, employment and poverty’ winning the most support.
Friday’s sitting of the Youth Parliament can be watched back HERE.
Miss Redelinghuys was welcomed to stand by Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, who introduced her at 12:52.30.
“We will now hear from representatives from the Crown Dependencies who will talk about the cost of living, employment and poverty. I call the youth representative from Guernsey.”
Miss Redelinghuys then spoke of Guernsey’s traditional tomato farming, and how that’s transitioned with finance now the dominant industry.
She spoke of the close knit community coming in handy when times are tough, and the declining birth rate concerning those in charge of planning finances for the island’s future.
She referenced the late 1960s, when we packaged and exported almost half a billion tomatoes to the UK, and how our industry merged into finance. Miss Redelinghuys explained that the industry employs around 23% of the workforce, with a mammoth 44% of our GDP coming from finance and its adjacent sectors.
“Whilst we have over the last decade, seen a drop in the proportion of households in relative income poverty, our rate still sits at 9% however, in Guernsey, we benefit from our small size, with an entire island population of only 64,000 people. And whilst it’s cliched, everyone really does know everyone a fact that it can be immensely helpful in hard times.
“We also, as in the UK, have a declining birth rate, with only 451 babies born in 2023 compared to 631 just 15 years ago, that’s a 29% drop in my lifetime, and so we’re trying to welcome back more of our own students who must leave age 18 if they wish to attend university.”
She summed up her two minute allotted speech by noting the similarities between Guernsey and the wider UK, and how the challenges facing them, face those on Island also.
“In conclusion, despite our small size, we found we tackled the same issues as the UK, whether that be a declining birth rate, changing sectors or the cost of living crisis, and so we work to find a balance that preserves the current economy but also invests into the youths, so we may continue to develop for their future.”
Speaking to Express after the event, Miss Redelinghuys said her nerves soon vanished, and she was able to take in what an experience it was.
“Initially I was incredibly nervous, on the whole flight over and through all the travel I’d had my speech in my pocket so I could go over it. But, sitting in that chamber was such a moment of awe for me that all the nerves kind of disappeared.
“Being able to sit in that chamber surrounded by over 200 of the most eloquent and passionate young people I’ve ever encountered was an absolute privilege, and so the atmosphere was just electric.”
She managed to avoid being star struck due to the warm and welcoming reception they received, and felt the island’s unique position, and special history, helped hold attention.
“I was so proud to be able to wave Guernsey’s flag in the House of Commons. I found everyone, including Lindsay Hoyle himself, to be incredibly welcoming and genuinely interested in what I had to say, to get to share a little bit of Guernsey’s story and our evolution from tomato growers to finance was amazing.
“Guernsey was definitely an interest to a lot of people over there!”
Miss Redelinghuys said the privilege and honour of being able to speak in the Youth Parliament wasn’t lost on her.
“As the day went on it was really lovely to get to know all the different representatives from the overseas territories all of which had there own perspective on how issues like education and the economy affected their islands. Some of whom, such as the Falklands had had to travel thousands of miles to be there.
“I was definitely aware throughout the day of what a honour and opportunity I’d been given to get to speak for our over 10,000 young people in Guernsey on an issue they’d chosen to be represented. I feel unbelievably privileged and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.”
The Youth Parliament was established 25 years ago, and is made up of more than 300 young people between the ages of 11 and 18 years.
They are elected as Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs), to represent the views of their peers.
It aims to provide opportunities for young people, and to foster social change, through meaningful representation and campaigning.