Chancellor George Osborne with one of last year's winners at the Treasury
Justin Tomlinson MP today supported the launch of Chance To Be Chancellor 2012 and is calling on schools and young constituents in North Swindon to take up the challenge.
Run by the Citizenship Foundation, in partnership with Aviva, Chance to be Chancellor presents young people with a range of real economic policies enabling them to weigh up the pros and cons of different policies before submitting their preferred options across taxation and public spending. It is open to all 14-18 years old across the UK.
Last year nearly 3000 young people took part, submitting their ideas to form the UK’s first Youth Budget published in March. Participants had the chance to attend an event at the Treasury where a question and answer session with senior politicians and decision makers took place.
Of last year’s competition, one teacher said “As they were all working through the options available to them for the 2011/12 budget there were constant cries from around the room of how impossible it was to contemplate making cuts to such vital areas of spending, but how imperative it was to do so - it really did get them thinking!”
The competition runs until the 20th February and participants have the chance to win some great prizes and visit the Treasury in London.
Justin Tomlinson MP said “As Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education for Young People, I welcome this fantastic competition as it gives young people a chance to use their financial skills to tackle the biggest financial decisions of our time. I urge all my young constituents to go online and have a go.”
You can find out more about the competition and enter at http://www.payingforit.org.uk/
