The Youth MP, 17, tackling knife violence head-on

"We don't need a social media ban – young people need the skills to navigate away from violence online."

Sienna Ahir doesn't shy away from difficult conversations. The 17‑year‑old Wolverhampton Youth MP believes she can offer a voice to teenagers who feel overlooked by politicians.

Confident, resilient and certain inequalities facing young people are real, she speaks to me during a visit to The Way Youth Zone on School Street in Wolverhampton.

It's the city she grew up in and is fiercely proud of. But she is aware of its reputation for crime which, with an initiative called "Daggers Down", she is tackling head-on.

"Wolverhampton has a bad reputation and that can deter a lot of young people," she says.

"A lot feel disadvantaged from the get‑go and that's why it's so important that we empower young people - that's what I hope 'Daggers Down' is going to be all about… making them feel hopeful about their futures."

Ahir founded the initiative to promote an anti‑crime message, and it has already raised hundreds of pounds to fund the purchase of bleed-control kits and first aid training, with a particular focus on schools and youth groups.

Last month, she completed a triathlon, using social media to update her growing number of supporters - and to reach young people who feel disconnected from politics and authority.

Knife and gun violence has become a recurring issue in Wolverhampton, with several incidents - some gang‑related - recorded across last summer and autumn.

This is a city where teenagers have died as a result of knife violence, and where children as young as 12 have carried it out.

"It's a really good stepping stone to try and talk about our emotions; a lot of young people go into crime because they feel unsafe," Ahir says.

"By equipping young people with bleed kits in locations, you know if you walk the street and there is an incident, there's an answer to the problem of knife crime.

"Bleed control kits are a vital part of first aid, but they are weirdly not talked about."

The kits are provided through the Daniel Baird Foundation, a charity dedicated to saving young lives. It was set up by Dr Lynne Baird after her son Daniel was fatally stabbed in Birmingham in 2017.

Ahir is no stranger to holding power to account. As Wolverhampton's elected Youth MP, she has spoken several times in the House of Commons and questioned senior officials in parliamentary select committee hearings.

She has tackled major topics from education to employment to sustainability but is now turning her focus to reducing violent youth crime and debating the growing conversation around a potential social media ban for teenagers.

Last month, the House of Lords voted in favour of banning under‑16s from using platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook, mirroring restrictions introduced in Australia last year.

Reflecting on her own committee work, she says: "On the Youth Select Committee, our report concluded that a social media ban is not going to be effective and rather than banning it altogether, we should be equipping young people with knowledge to navigate about violence online, because it's not just online, it's a world issue too."

The Way Youth Zone — celebrating its 10th anniversary — is also working to raise awareness of the risks linked to social media and violent crime. The centre has received two bleed kits from Ahir's campaign.

"The reason we exist is to give people a safe space to be, to have fun," says Rebecca Bunger, The Way's Head of Youth Work and Partnerships.

"A bigger part of our offer here is to educate young people around the risks around knife crime, around gang violence, and we take that really seriously.

"Sienna is outrageously impressive. With so much negativity we see around teenagers, it's so great to see a young person getting the spotlight. I hope she's our prime minister one day."

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