YORK’S youth champion position looks set to be scrapped because young people do not want it to be “political”.

City of York Councillor James Alexander was elected Children and Young People’s Champion in April 2008, succeeding fellow Labour councillor David Scott.

The post is elected every two years and all children and young people registered at council-administered primary, secondary and special schools are eligible to vote, as well as York College students who are under 18.

But on Wednesday, City of York Council’s Young People’s Working Group will consider a plan to make its members the new champions, and the group a forum for direct communication with young people from the city’s youth council.

Youth Councillor Joe Armer said: “It’s very difficult for a political party representative to fulfil a non-party political role alongside their party politics.

“The youth council see it as unproductive for a councillor with political affiliations to take on the role, but before we make any more decisions on what we do we will discuss it fully at the Young People’s Working Group.”

Councillor Alexander said: “I don’t have a personal problem with the working group and young people taking on that role but I have concerns that they haven’t enough teeth to get the job done.

“Funding for the youth council is in jeopardy so if it no longer exists or is scaled back so it has less of a voice, it will feel like a step back.

“I can ask questions on officers and understand the process – if the youth council is not given those tools it won’t be as effective.”

Wednesday’s meeting includes a proposal not to re-elect an individual champion, but to make all its members champions and to formally co-opt some young people to the group.

It will also suggest that the executive member for children and young people, currently Coun Carol Runciman, should put a report, produced with the Youth Council, to full council each year.