As part of this year’s Parliament Week, running from 24th-30th November 2025, Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst MP has invited young people across Solihull West & Shirley to reflect on a question that lies at the heart of our society: why democracy matters.
Democracy is more than a system of government; it is the foundation of our freedoms, our rights, and our shared responsibilities. It gives every citizen a voice, allowing us to shape the future of our nation together. It demands engagement, encourages debate, and ensures that power is exercised with accountability. In short, democracy is the framework that allows us to live as a free and equal society.
This forthcoming Parliament Week, Neil wants to encourage young people to think about the role of democracy in their own lives; how it affects their communities, how it protects their rights, and how it provides the opportunity for every voice to be heard. Understanding democracy is not only about knowing how government works; it is about appreciating the responsibility each of us has to contribute to our society and to stand up for the values that sustain it.
Neil hopes that schools across the constituency will take this opportunity to engage students in thinking deeply about freedom, representation, and civic duty - principles that lie at the very heart of our parliamentary democracy.
Democracy is not something to be taken for granted. It is a living, breathing part of our daily lives, and it thrives when every generation understands, values, and participates in it.
