Member of Parliament for Houghton and Sunderland South Bridget Phillipson has pledged her support for Democracy Day.

Democracy Day took place on 20 January 2015 to mark the 750th anniversary of the first parliament of elected representatives at Westminster, the de Montfort Parliament.

To celebrate this important anniversary the BBC, in collaboration with the House of Commons and the House of Lords, broadcast a day of live events, discussion and debate from inside Westminster.

Speaking at the event, Bridget Phillipson said:

“Democracy Day is an important reminder of the long history of parliamentary democracy in this country.

It’s easy to take democracy and universal suffrage for granted now, but history reminds us that it was a long and difficult process.Many died fighting for democracy and the right to vote and we should remember their sacrifices today.

It’s also important to remember that there are many parts of the world where people still don’t have the access to the basic democratic rights and freedoms that we enjoy in this country.

We must continue to stand up for democracy around the world, and encourage as many people as possible to engage in the democratic process in thisGeneral Election year.”