Conference panel: Sam Wheeler

MEET THE PANEL Name: Sam Wheeler Age: 18 Lives: Manchester Studies: Gap year student Biggest election issue: Foreign Policy Politicians need to do less: Only when the public stop wanting their assistance, which wont be anytime soon. About my politics: "My working class roots mean I struggle to avoid taking a pleasure in seeing the wealthy forced to hand over a chunk of their income" Watch video

I'm 18 years old, and currently on a gap year while I re-apply to Oxford University.

First, let's get something straight. Leadership struggles have always been bitter, and those in power have always tried to cling on to the last.

Things are the same as they ever were.

However, within this framework we are coming to a milestone. Tony Blair is leaving, and it has yet to be seen whether the new Labour project can survive without the Great Leader.

Meet the other panellists

At the same time the Tories select as their head a carbon copy, a man who from what he says has no business being in that party, and whose attributes day by day make him more despised by the Conservative faithful, even as they endear him to the other 67% of us.

And then there's the Lib Dems.

SAM AT CONFERENCE Click to see who Sam met Sam's day at the seaside

After a year that could have been dreamed up by The Now Show crew, charming Champagne Charlie has been traded for Ming the Merciless.

Ming vs Gordon? It seems life really does imitate art.

And yet, in a world where ever more power is sent down to regional assemblies or up to Brussels, more and more of us wonder if it even matters whose face is in front of the podium at 10 Downing Street.

Our young peoples' panel has been selected from as wide a cross-section of people as possible and may not be representative of the wider public opinion.