North Northamptonshire's first members of the Youth Parliament appointed

27 March 2025

North Northamptonshire has concluded its Youth Parliament election, and has now appointed two Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) to represent its young people.

Alfie Richards, 16, and Ivanna Obi, 15, received the highest number of nominations from over 1,000 votes from young people across North Northamptonshire. This marks an historic appointment for the local authority, as they will be the first Members of Youth Parliament to have been elected to represent the constituency.

As part of their manifestos, candidates were asked to highlight a local, national, and global issue affecting them and provide plans to address the issues.

Alfie's manifesto focused on safety and protection, as a local issue, education, as a national issue, and the dangerous impact of social media, as a global issue.

Ivanna's manifesto focused on amplifying young people’s involvement locally, at all levels, education on a national level and the impact of people being put under pressure on a global scale.

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Alfie and Ivanna who will represent the young people of North Northamptonshire in Westminster. The Youth Parliament is a vitally important way for young people to become politically engaged and have their say on the issues that matter to them.

It has also proven to have had a positive impact in developing confidence and leadership skills in the young people chosen from other areas across the country who have gone before them. By securing their seats in the Youth Parliament for the coming year, they are representing young people’s voices which will be heard in the Houses of Parliament which is an incredible honour. I wish them all the very best in their endeavours!Adele Wylie, Chief Executive Officer for North Northamptonshire Council

The two new MYPs will be granted seats on North Northamptonshire's Youth Advisory Council, which was formed in January of this year, and will be invited to sit in Parliament at key periods during their terms as MYPs.

Other key activities will include campaigning locally, regionally and nationally throughout the year, delivering sessions with schools and in the community to engage young people with the democratic process.