field report: gnd rising youth parliament action day

What was our Youth Parliament Action Day like? Hear from three organisers who were there:

One week ago, over 70 of us from all across the country descended on Westminster. We gathered on the lawn outside Parliament around a huge table. Our message: MPs must finally come to the table and work with young people to forge serious solutions to the interconnected crises we face. We can’t afford any more tweaks to business-as-usual disguised as real change.

Following the outdoor demo, we headed inside Parliament to lobby our MPs, face-to-face. about the urgency of adopting a Green New Deal - a bold plan to tackle the climate and cost of living crises through historic public investment. We took our message straight to the seat of power, presenting the solutions our MPs can - and must - champion this Parliament.

In this post, three activists - Milla Hawley, Adam Blake, and Lizzie Rose - share their reflections on the day, their conversations, and their hopes for change.

Lizzie’s Reflections

In mid-November, I received a Whatsapp message inviting me to take part in GNDR’s Youth Parliament Action Day. I replied that I wouldn’t be able to make it because of work and limited holiday allowance. The next week, I changed my mind - and I am so glad that I did.

I booked the day off work, sent my MP a personalised invite to the lobby day, attended the pre-action training call, and familiarised myself with my MP’s politics and voting history. Having started a new job recently, I had been panicking that I had less time to commit to climate action and campaigning - but the incredible preparation, support and encouragement I received beforehand made the run up to the lobby day both time-efficient and stress-free. 

So many barriers to entry for getting involved were addressed: there was travel and accommodation assistance, dietary and accessibility accommodations, templates for researching your MP and sending off emails, conversation tips, clear and concise briefing documents about what the day itself would entail… It all left me feeling well-prepared and confident.

Come the morning of lobby day, I was on the 8.25am train to London and started reading Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower. It opens with the words:

“All that you touch, you Change. All that you Change, Changes you.”

These words felt perfectly fitting for the day ahead. A day of young people from across the UK coming together to meet our elected representatives face-to-face. To share our personal stories and concerns about the climate crisis, our failing public services and an economy that doesn't work for us. To look our MPs in the eye and ask for their support for a Green New Deal and a radically brighter future for their constituents.

When I arrived in London, I joined about 70 other GNDR activists for another round of conversation practice before we headed to Parliament together - first for a demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament and then to head inside the building to meet with MPs themselves. My MP didn’t RSVP but I was partnered with another activist, Ciara, and, together we met with her MP - Ian Dickson. He was engaged and receptive to the points we discussed about what a Green New Deal would entail, and why it is so urgently needed. All the practice conversations Ciara and I had had with each other in the prior training paid off, enabling us to concisely summarise each of the pillars of the Green New Deal, neatly linking these to each other, as well as to our personal stories and concerns. Mr Dickson listened attentively, agreed his support and asked for a photo together before leaving to make his way to a parliamentary vote.  After that first conversation, I felt really energised so I wanted to keep going! By my second conversation, I felt even more confident in what I was asking.

I cannot overstate how amazing it felt to engage in face-to-face discussions about young people’s most pressing anxieties with people in a position to actually affect change. And to know that that room full of young people, and the conversations we had last Tuesday, will create change. Maybe that will be through the traditional route of influencing our MPs' votes, or maybe it will be through the side that often gets forgotten - through the connections we made with each other that day or through the motivation that the day might give us to do something new next time.

If you’re on the fence about taking part in similar actions I would say - just try one. Everyone at GNDR - both staff and volunteers - are so lovely, and supportive, and the hope that comes from taking action and demanding the future we deserve is so incredibly worth it. I really cannot recommend the experience enough.

Adam’s Reflections

I guess the place to start with a personal reflection is the personal, so I’ll say a bit about myself! Hi, I’m Adam and the Parliamentary Lobby Day was my first event with Green New Deal Rising. I felt like I was throwing myself in the deep end - engaging a stranger, let alone an MP, is not my greatest strength! - but then again that’s a surefire way to learn how to swim. Thankfully I was not alone in my greenness (pun intended), and it was a comfort to be around 70 odd like minded young people, including my flatmate, Charlie, who introduced me to the movement. Alongside this being my first event with GNDR, it was also my first time in the houses of Parliament (a fact that slightly shocked my flatmate, considering the fact that we both study Politics at university).

So - what did we actually get up to on December 3rd? If you are new to the concept of what lobbying is, it involves meeting with a politician and having a relaxed yet focused conversation about an issue that you feel is of vital importance. In this case, the topic of focus was the Green New Deal, and our aim was to get more MPs to sign the Green New Deal pledge, or if they’re really super and are already a Green New Deal supporter, to chat with them about what they’ve done to assist the movement since they’ve entered Parliament. I ended up speaking with one MP, Carla Denyer, the co-leader of the Green Party and a Green New Deal Champion. It was an insightful experience chatting with her, learning more about how Parliament works as well as what the Green Party has been involved with since the General Election earlier this year.

I can take away two things from my first experience with GNDR. The first is that I will definitely continue to be involved with the movement, not just to experience being involved with the politics of this country, but also because there is the air that change is possible. Although 2024 has been far from politically ideal (to massively understate things), the youth of today stand at a crossroads where change is the only way forward, and more than ever those in the seat of power are listening.

Secondly, sitting down and speaking with Carla assured me that politicians (unlike how many perceive them) are willing to listen to people (even odd 19 year olds from Birmingham with a bad haircut), and although not every MP that passed through our room that day agreed with us, there was a recognition and willingness to compromise that is missed when viewing politics from longshot. 

So to the person reading this, know that politicians are in fact humans just like us, not people to be intimidated by! And that getting involved is the best way to move us towards the world you’d like to see.

Milla’s Reflections

Hi, I’m Milla. I’ve been involved with Green New Deal Rising for a few years now (I’ve even written a blog on this site before!) and I’m thrilled to have joined over 70 like minded climate enthusiasts in London for the Parliamentary Lobby Day on December 3rd. 

Unlike most other participants, this was not my first time visiting Parliament. For those who might not be aware, Parliament is split into three general sections - The House of Commons ( the MP side), the House of Lords (where the Lords are), and then everything else (such as the museum and committee rooms). My previous visit was to the House of Lords section for an unrelated cause. Today's visit took place in the Committee section. 

When I visited in 2022, restoration works were ongoing which meant that scaffolding  obstructed many parts of the main lobby as you entered Parliament. Now that the works are completed, the beautiful art is on full display for all visitors to see. We also got a big group picture there which you can see below!

We gathered in a committee room upstairs, where we talked to MPs. Politicians from all the major parties talked to us. I, alongside two other Manchester GNDR volunteers, talked to Afzal Khan, the Labour MP for Rusholme, and I was surprised by how positively it went! I’m grateful to all my fellow GNDR volunteers and organisers who made this wonderful day possible, as well as to everyone who came down to speak to us on the day.

I was left with two key reflections. Firstly, seeing both new and familiar faces is an absolute joy.  Building connections is vital for building a better future and events like these make that possible. That goes not just for MPs but also for fellow activists -  these connections are so important, and they can lead to incredible developments down the road.

Another distinct reflection remained persistent throughout both visits - while we may not always be pleased with the decisions that are made within it, when I was inside the Houses of Parliament I was struck by how beautiful the buildings are. I was reminded of how important it is that we fight to protect the spaces we have and to preserve them for the future. Without a sustainable future, so much of the beauty we take for granted today is on the line. It is so crucial that we continue to fight - to protect nature, history and biodiversity, and to forge a future that is even better and brighter for everyone.

This sentiment is a part of what Green New Deal Rising and other climate organisations are  campaigning for. That’s why it’s so important we remain determined and persistent to forge the sustainable future we all need and it’s made easier knowing there are many people by your side happy to help. This sentiment stuck with me as I left London, knowing the next opportunity to demand change would come very soon.