Kirsten Oswald MP joins The Big Issue’s Wellbeing Week

Among the topics she discussed with a group of young people aged 15 to 25 from all over the UK were the environment and climate change, poverty and inequality, racial injustice, and the pandemic.

These young people are ambassadors for the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill, which has been promoted by Lord Bird, founder of the Big Issue and Green MP Caroline Lucas. The Bill is currently making its way through the House of Commons.

The young ambassadors met with Kirsten in groups of three for just five minutes. Each young ambassador outlined their own view of why long-term thinking must be put into action now.

After the event, Kirsten joined other MPs in co-signing a letter to the Prime Minister asking the UK Government to bring forward their own Bill on Future Generations to allow this to be implemented quickly.

Kirsten said: “It was fantastic to meet with the young ambassadors and I was inspired by ideas they presented on how we can improve lives for future generations.

“The pandemic has had a huge impact on all our lives and has challenged us to put in place mechanisms to ensure we are much better prepared for similar events, which may become more frequent.

“The event gave me a renewed sense of hope that we will be able to tackle some of the generational inequalities that scar Britain today, and I was pleased at the recognition that Scotland is giving a lead in the move to a Wellbeing Economy.”

Lord Bird said: “Wellbeing Week provides an opportunity for us to rethink how we plan for the long-term, and that involves rewiring how our democracy works. My Future Generations Bill offers a way to level up prospects between current and future generations. It is a chance to create a society we all want to live in. The pandemic has taught us how important it is to think about the future. We must place the wellbeing of future generations at the heart of policymaking, now.”