TEENAGERS with a passion for politics told Monmouthshire council’s leader he must consider young people as cuts are made to save £9m over the next year.

The committee of four from county youth forum Engage 2 Change tackled Cllr Peter Fox and said they did not want to be a “tick-box scheme,” challenging decisions and having a powerful collective voice instead of filling in forms.

After the presentation by Angharad Clarke, 15, Marcus Berzolla, 13, Owain Powell, 15, all of King Henry VIII School and Celyn Evans, 14, of Caldicot School, to the council’s cabinet members, Cllr Fox took to Twitter to call them “really switched on young people.”

Cllr Giles Howard, cabinet member for culture and environment, invited the teenagers to meet and talk through what they want to achieve. Branded “fantastic” by Cllr Peter Farley, one of a number of councillors who stayed to listen, the committee were in high spirits as they spoke to their elders.

Owen Powell said: “We want to influence your decisions and the ones that affect the young people of Monmouthshire.”

The committee were particularly keen to stress they wanted an involvement on any cuts affecting schools.

It is proposed all financial support for post -16 student transport will be withdrawn.

More staff could be cut from schools, service delivery for pupils with additional learning needs is being reviewed and £50,000 of funding for the School Library Service over two years could be removed.

Cllr Fox said their presentation, which included a short film about the dangers of drink-driving, conveyed the message that they want to be taken seriously: “I think that piece of work was absolutely powerful, effective stuff.”

Celyn Evans tweeted she was pleased with how the day went: “@e2c_mon has really been noticed after the presentation we did yesterday, we have gained so much support and so many followers.”

Engage 2 Change is part of Monmouthshire’s Youth Service and young people aged 11 to 25 can join.

Its focal point is an interactive website and quarterly magazine.