Why BBC Parliament needs saving

Noah Keate | 24th June 2022 | Uncategorised

The channel that piqued my interest in politics could reduce youth disengagement - if given a chance

Political divisions are more burning than ever. Switch on BBC Parliament and the debates in the Palace of Westminster, Welsh Senedd and Scottish Parliament confirm that. Yet this channel, at its best, is a key solution for one solitary area of political agreement, where no politician dares to dissent: more people should be interested in politics. More people should vote. Especially young people. How to pique their interest? By showing - not telling - them how the system works. That was certainly my experience. Watching BBC Parliament as a teen provoked my interest in politics. BBC Parliament, if you don’t already know, broadcast live and uninterrupted coverage of the House of Commons. It was an important tool for me to learn the basics of parliamentary procedure. I accumulated knowledge - such as why MPs called one another “honourable members”, would frequently bob up and down, and jeer to no end. Sure, it wasn’t quite as intensely nerdy as devouring the dense scripts of Hansard (li...

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