North Northamptonshire teens take Youth Parliament seats

Two teenagers will carry young people’s views from North Northamptonshire into the UK Youth Parliament after a public vote held on Monday 18 May 2026.

Ivanna Obi, 17, has been re-elected as a Member of Youth Parliament, while Kendra Okelola, 15, has been elected for the first time. The pair will represent young people across the area, attend Westminster when the Youth Parliament is sitting, and sit on North Northamptonshire’s Youth Advisory Council.

More than 600 young voters took part in the election, according to North Northamptonshire Council, with local school pupils among those casting votes through the council’s website.

Two elected voices for young people across the area

The election gives Ivanna Obi and Kendra Okelola a formal route to raise issues affecting children and teenagers in North Northamptonshire, from local concerns to wider national debates heard through the Youth Parliament.

Their term runs until 31 March 2027. During that time, they will be expected to represent peers from across the council area rather than one school, town or neighbourhood.

The council said 14 candidates stood in total, all aged between 11 and 18. Each candidate was invited to write about the issues they believed mattered most to life in North Northamptonshire and beyond, along with what they hoped to do if elected.

Those manifestos were published anonymously online before voting took place over one day. That format placed the focus on candidates’ priorities rather than names, schools or existing profiles.

A route from local classrooms to Westminster

The UK Youth Parliament gives elected young representatives a platform to debate, campaign and speak to decision-makers. For North Northamptonshire’s new MYPs, that means a role split between national sittings and local participation work.

The local side of the role will include North Northamptonshire’s Youth Advisory Council, where young people can feed into conversations about services, opportunities and community life. The Westminster element gives the elected MYPs a chance to bring local experiences into a national youth forum.

The election was organised by North Northamptonshire Council in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the National Youth Agency.

Youth representation has become a visible part of local civic life in several parts of the country, with councils using elections and youth panels to bring younger residents into public decision-making. A similar youth parliament election in Havering also focused on giving teenagers a stronger voice in local priorities, including mental health and careers: youth representatives in Havering.

Deputies will be chosen from the Youth Advisory Council

Two Deputy Members of Youth Parliament are due to be elected from North Northamptonshire’s Youth Advisory Council and will be announced once confirmed.

The deputy MYPs will not attend Parliamentary sittings, but they will be able to deputise for Ivanna and Kendra when needed and represent them at events outside Parliament.

North Northamptonshire Council has thanked everyone who voted, including school pupils who took part in the one-day online election. People who want to find out more about becoming a Member of Youth Parliament can contact the council’s engagement and participation team by email at engagementandparticipation@northnorthants.gov.uk.

Source: North Northamptonshire Council