Conference panel: Victoria Araj

MEET THE PANEL Name: Victoria Araj Age: 19 Lives: East Surrey, Sussex Studies: Manchester University Biggest election issue: Political reform Politicians need to do less: Immigration scaremongering About my politics: I'm totally independent of any political party Watch video

I'm 19 years old and studying Development Economics at Manchester University.

The current state of British politics is a joke.

The system is outdated with an unelected upper house and first-past-the-post electoral system, which ensures established voices stay in power.

Its evolutionary nature means we have an un-coded constitution to the detriment of basic rights, for example with the Serious Organised Crimes and Police Act (SOCA).

The current system of government lacks a separation of power which leads to a rise of the whipping system, thus halting any dissent.

Decisions are centralised within Westminster which has curbed local say and detached MPs from public opinion, evidenced when two million marched against the war in Iraq.

Meet the other panellists

Politics is not about people anymore, but about spin and headlines in Rupert Murdoch's newspapers.

What politicians have got away with recently says it all; curbs on civil liberties, the death of Jean Charles de Menezes and an illegal war.