Young politicians quizzed former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone during an event to encourage more teenagers to participate in politics.

The City Hall veteran met pupils from across the borough for the youth democracy event, organised by Harrow Youth Parliament at the civic centre last week.

During the event Mr Livingstone gave a short speech about the importance of teenagers taking part in politics.

Members of the youth parliament also had the chance to ask the former mayor questions on a range of issues, including youth unemployment and voting among 18 to 25-year-olds.

Livingstone said: “If young people don’t take part in politics, they’ll carry on being let down by the establishment.

“Harrow Youth Parliament is doing a great job for the young people of Harrow. I think they should be doing this every night.”

Chairman of the youth parliament Jayh Karia said: “The Harrow Youth Parliament Youth Democracy Event was a huge success, showing how young people are and can be active in politics and shaping our futures.

“The event proved testament to the dedication of Harrow’s young people, and the hard work that Harrow Youth Parliament does to represent them.”

Deputy leader of the council Councillor Keith Ferry said: “I’d like to congratulate Harrow Youth Parliament for hosting a successful event which saw some truly interesting and passionate debates on various topics regarding youth politics.

“It’s important that the concerns of young people are heard and we fully support Harrow Youth Parliament in their efforts to encourage and engage young people in politics.”