Labour date for Littlehampton’s Katie

Arun Youth Council’s former chairman Katie Emms will be speaking on a panel of politicians and financial experts at the conference, in Manchester, after she was selected to represent the nation’s young people in a debate about financial education.

During her time with the youth council, she visited the Houses of Parliament to talk about her hopes to spark a revolution in the way young people were taught about finance at school.

Katie, 18, said she was honoured to be taking part in the debate. “I’m very passionate about the future of financial education. The Personal Finance Education Group has asked me to represent the youth of Britain and give a young person’s opinion on why it’s so important to teach finance in school.

“The effects of financial education may not be noticed immediately, but in 20 to 30 years’ time the aftermath of this small addition to the national curriculum could prove to be a key solution in the prevention of debt and financial difficulty – such as on the scale the global economy faces today.”

Katie, who this week started a law degree at the University of Hertfordshire, added the prospect of paying almost £9,000 a year in tuition fees was “daunting” and she wished she’d had finance lessons while studying at St Philip Howard Catholic High School, Barnham.