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Nick Clegg answers questions in first Online Public Meeting

Wed, 20 Jan 2010

This afternoon Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat Leader, held his first Online Public Meeting, where he called upon young people to ask questions about issues that affect them. The event was jointly hosted on Twitter and the UK Youth Parliament's forum, and the Liberal Democrat Leader answered a range of questions from voting age to youth unemployment and tuition fees.

In response to the questions that were posted on the forum, Nick Clegg recorded the response below:



The questions and answers from Twitter are replicated below (Please note: Twitter only allows for a 140 character response):

@nick_clegg #asknickclegg With your pledge for a fairer electoral system, will you include votes at 16 within that?

Nick Clegg: Yes I am a big supporter of votes at 16. The state can ask a 16 year old to fight and die for this country, why not vote too?

@nick_clegg #asknickclegg What is your parties opinion on political education for under 16s and how will they work to try and achieve this?

Nick Clegg: Main priority in my view is to improve how citizenship curriculum is taught. Some schools do it v well, others not. Need consistency.

@nick_clegg #asknickclegg What's your views (and party policy) on the use of the Mosquito device to disperse young people?

Nick Clegg: Am strongly against. It smacks of Orwell, targeted at young people only. Why do they think all young people are bad? Appalling.

@nick_clegg #asknickclegg Now that you have announced that we cannot afford to stop student fees, how will the Lib Dems support students?

Nick Clegg: We WILL scrap tuition fees, but money's v tight so it'll take a little longer. We’ll scrap final year fees in year one, then scrap rest.

@nick_clegg #asknickclegg What do the Lib Dems plan to do to solve the problem of voter apathy among Young People?

Nick Clegg: Votes at 16. Sweep away rotten system of unfair votes and big money in Westminster. Treat people like grown ups on the big changes we need.

@nick_clegg #asknickclegg how will you help areas like the South West whose young people have little they can do/ afford in spare time?

Nick Clegg: Provide affordable/accessible public transport so young people can get around. And support youth centres and youth workers.

@nick_clegg #asknickclegg How will the Lib Dems help the teenagers and those leaving university get jobs, especially those in rural areas?

Nick Clegg: 90 day guarantee: if u don't have job after 3 months, we'll guarantee training, internship or further study. Boost places at Colleges too.

Follow Nick Clegg on Twitter.