Example of a speech

Friends, fellow Chorley residents and Councillors; thank you for inviting me here
tonight to discuss with you the proposed 9pm curfew for our teenage sons and
daughters. I could not be happier to be here to give this motion my wholehearted
support. This is an outstanding idea, and one that I’m sure all reasonable and responsible
residents of the town will stand alongside me in celebrating. We all desire world class
status for Chorley; we all wish for a town that we can truly be proud of. I am in no doubt
that a curfew will grant us this wish.

I have lived and worked in Chorley for my whole life, and am heartbroken to see the
sickening state that it has fallen into. Each and every night, the youths of Chorley roam
our streets in gangs, terrorising the neighbourhood. Our older residents, many of whom
won our freedom by fighting in World War 2, are terrified to leave their houses after
dark. They live in fear, effectively imprisoned by the chaos outside their doors. A recent
survey conducted by Chorley Council showed that over 75% of pensioners did not
feel safe on their own streets after dark. We owe our heroes more than this. In addition,
young parents do not feel it is safe to bring their impressionable children out as they fear
that they will be abused or attacked by these marauding louts. Shouldn’t the streets of
Chorley be places where everyone feels safe, not hives of crime and terror? Of
course they should; we owe all of our residents this safety. Only last week my own young
nephew was abused and humiliated on the streets by an unruly mob; this is simply not
acceptable in a civilised society. I’m afraid this is just the tip of the iceberg; we really
must act now before the situation worsens and irreparable damage is done to our local
community. Our community must stand together to put an end to this chaos, before
chaos puts an end to our community.

Some of you may say to me that young people need time to socialise with their friends, in
order to reduce the stress and pressure that many feel. Though I agree that social time is
necessary for our young people, I really don’t feel that this would be adversely affected
by the curfew. Young people have all day at school to socialise; they also have six hours
after school before the curfew would take effect. Surely this is sufficient time for young
people to socialise with their friends? It is utterly ridiculous to suggest that they need
more than six hours of social time to ‘wind down’ after their busy days. No teenager I
know works that hard at school! Back in the mists of time I myself was once a teenager,
and I also have a teenage daughter. Though technology has transformed many aspects of
modern life, much remains the same. School was, and still is, forgotten within five
minutes of skipping out of the gates; relaxation and recreation began, and still begins,
early. So ask yourselves now, is socialising after 9pm genuinely an essential and
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desirable aspect of teenage life? I would say absolutely not. Socialising after dark is
likely to involve mischief. Mischief leads to serious trouble. Serious trouble leads to
anarchy. Finally, this curfew would allow honest, hard-working families to spend quality
time together. Far too many parents feel that they have lost touch with their teenagers;
school work, part time jobs, the internet and games consoles are just some of the
distractions that keep parents from their children. This leads to despair and distance
within families, causing arguments and hostility between parents and their children.
Insisting that children are in the house by 9pm would give families the chance to eat
together, discuss their days and reconnect. This quality time is invaluable in today’s busy
and relentless world. Recent studies have shown that fewer than 20% of families
spend time together in the evening; the curfew could revolutionise family life and reverse
this worrying trend of disconnection and distance in families. Research conducted by the
Government’s Department for Health has also shown that eating together as a family is
healthier, and results in happier children. We all want our children to be healthy, happy
and safe and this curfew will help us. Our children will be free from the tyranny of peer
pressure and gang culture; they will be able to once again enjoy their youth, appreciate
their family time and improve their health and wellbeing.

We have all seen what happens in towns where society fails; look at the examples of
Wigan and Bolton. These towns are overrun with dangerous gangs and their economy
and society is crumbling. We can reverse this slide in Chorley. I hope that you, the
people of Chorley, can see that this curfew is essential. I hope that you will share my
vision of a new and unified Chorley. I hope that you will rise up and make your voices
heard. We have a rare opportunity to make our town a beacon of excellence for
surrounding towns - let’s seize this golden opportunity with both hands, and make
Chorley truly great again.