A Y Vote Mock Election is taking place at City College Plymouth on Monday 18 May, giving local MEPs the chance to make their case to young voters.

The event, organised by Sarah Russell of Twofour as part of her ‘Knowing Me Knowing Urup’ campaign, will allow students and young people the opportunity to grill the MEPs on a wide range of subjects affecting them.

The three South West MEPs battling for the students’ attention and votes are Graham Watson MEP (Liberal Democrats), Trevor Colman MEP (UKIP) and Ricky Knight (Greens).

Sarah Russell of Twofour, said: “This project is all about discovering what young people think about European politics and this event is a perfect opportunity for students to hold MEPs to account.

“There is a feeling that young people are apathetic when it comes to politics in this country. But I’ve found during my filming in the South West that they do care very deeply about the world around them. It will be interesting to see what sort of questions the MEPs will face.”

Shane Chowan, President of City College Plymouth Students’ Union, commented: “This is a really exciting opportunity for our students to get involved in the political arena – an area that not all students are familiar with. I really hope that this event inspires students to not only go out and vote on June 4, but get more involved in other decisions which can affect their lives.”

Y Vote Mock Elections are being coordinated by the Hansard Society in schools and colleges throughout the UK to coincide with the European election on June 4. The free election pack and teaching resources provided on the Y Vote Mock Elections help run exciting election events and offer an excellent introduction to the mechanics and issues involved in an election.

To find out more about Sarah’s Knowing Me Knowing Urup campaign view her video diaries at www.youtube.com/knowingmeknowingurup or follow her blog at www.knowingmeknowingurup.wordpress.com.