Fostering Financial Wisdom: City Veteran Peter Davies from Lansdowne Partners, Guides Youth Parliament’s Chancellor of the Exchequer

Financial Literacy Starts Young: UK Children’s Parliament Leads the Way In an inspiring initiative to empower the next generation, the UK Children’s Parliament is taking bold steps to instill financial literacy in primary school students across the nation. This pioneering effort aims to engage children aged 7-11 with complex financial concepts, equipping them with invaluable knowledge and skills from an early age. 

The Children’s Parliament recently organized a remarkable event where 11-year-old Aryan Shekar, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, sat down with veteran investor Peter Davies of Lansdowne Partners. Accompanied by fellow students from Westminster Under School, Shekar grilled Davies on the intricate world of investing, showcasing the Parliament’s commitment to demystifying finance. 

“The crucial goal is to enforce the development of financial literacy in primary schools across the United Kingdom,” Shekar stated, echoing the Parliament’s objective of engaging children on complex financial matters. 

Andrew Fox, Executive Director of the UK Children’s Parliament, emphasised the importance of this endeavour: “Children have open minds. Primary school is the right age to start learning about money, and even complex financial instruments.” The interview with Davies marks the inaugural event in Shekar’s series aimed at bridging the gap between finance and young learners through conversations with City of London luminaries. In October 2021, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, the Adult Chancellor of the Exchequer, was ‘grilled’ by Child MPs from Amesbury Primary School in Hindhead, Surrey, during the inaugural Children’s Parliament session. 

Supported by Wakelet, Microsoft 365, and media partners Business Matters Magazine and The Express, the Children’s Parliament is now in its third year of empowering young voices. Veteran traders Ed Davies and Lane Clark from TPP serve as advisers, ensuring a robust financial literacy curriculum. James Caan CBE, former Chairman of the UK Government-backed The Start-up Loans company, hailed the initiative as “an excellent idea and long overdue.” As the UK Children’s Parliament continues to spearhead this innovative approach, it promises to shape a financially savvy future for Britain’s youth, equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the complexities of finance from an early age.

Posted: 1st May 2024