Am I alone in thinking creating children’s equivalents of key political roles is well-meaning but utterly pointless?

This week, it was revealed Medway Council wants to elect a youth mayor. Not a mature teenager, but a 10 or 11-year-old.

Why? Well, apparently it will encourage young people to engage in local politics through the election process and their communities.

All well and good, but I’d be absolutely flabbergasted if it does.

It is, after all, hard enough to engage adults, let alone children who, frankly, should be focusing on more frivolous activities when they’re that age. They’re kids after all.

What are they likely to be campaigning for? Cheaper sweets, improved swings in the local park or the removal of any sign in a residential area which bears the legend ‘no ball games’? I don’t mean to be patronising in saying that, but there’s a limit to what they’re going to be interested in at that age.

By the time they realise the glacial-like progress of change via any local authority or the chronic lack of cash available to it, they’ll be more likely to be turned off the whole idea.

Does anyone else remember when then-Police and Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes appointed a youth PCC? Look it up if you don’t remember, but it was one of the great political own goals ever scored by an elected officer in the county. And I liked Ann.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting the concept is completely flawed. I grew up in a politically active household and had strong views at an early age. But if someone had said there’s a youth council to vote for, with almost zero power available to them, I would have considered it a somewhat patronising nod to try and win political favour.

When I was a Year 6 pupil (or in the fourth year at primary school as we used to describe it), my main focus was on Panini football stickers, conkers, riding around with my mates on our bikes and pop music. I was not in the least bit interested in the workings of my local council.

And, frankly, I’d be somewhat questioning myself if I did.

Plus, when, in 1987 it must have been, we had a mock election at my secondary school to coincide with the real thing, the Bring A Bottle Party (see what they did there?) won. I’ve no idea what they stood for, but it was probably based on a manifesto of no more school uniforms and a reduction to the school day.

What it didn’t spark was any form of serious political discourse – just some daft theories which would capture the popular vote for those folk who don’t want to think key issues through. Mind you, Nigel Farage has made a career out of doing just that, so what do I know?