ONE of Slough's budding politicians has taken part in a debate at the House of Commons.

Alaa Fawaz, 15, a member of Slough's Youth Parliament, took part in a special debate for the youth representatives of the country, chaired by the House of Commons speaker John Bercow and broadcast live on BBC television.

Alaa spoke about the need to make public transport cheaper and more accessible.

She raised the issue of adult fares for young people and called for a nationwide concession scheme comparable to what is provided by transport for London.

Alaa said: “It was an unforgettable experience. The atmosphere was amazing, with all the passionate speakers in the debates.

“The day truly inspired me to keep working to empower the youth."

The session saw young representatives from across the UK vote to make lowering the voting age to 16 the UK Youth Parliament’s (UKYP) next national campaign.

A ‘curriculum for life’ campaign, aimed at getting schools to teach life skills such as personal finance, relationships and citizenship, was also chosen as the priority for England.

Slough had the highest turnout of 11-18 year-olds in the South East and second highest in the UK in voting for the five subjects that were debated on the day.

Cllr Sabia Hussain, commissioner for education and children’s services and deputy leader of the council, said: “We are all so proud of Alaa for the fantastic job she did representing the young people of Slough in parliament.

“We are living in incredibly interesting times and it’s wonderful to see so many young people from across the borough engaged in politics and having their say.”