A 15-year-old boy is set to become the youngest ever speaker at a political party conference.

Hasan Patel of Leyton is a year younger than William Hague was when the former Home Secretary gave his famous speech to the Tory Party conference in in 1977.

The teenager was this week chosen to represent Leyton and Wanstead Labour Party at the conference following a members’ ballot.

Hasan, who attends George Mitchell School in Farmer Road, Leyton, won’t take his GCSEs until next year.

Despite being too young to cast a vote, the student will address party delegates in Liverpool this September, where he plans to use his platform to highlight government cuts to youth services locally.

He said: “I want to take the concerns of young people of East London to the heart of the political debate in this country.

“My own youth club closed down this year and I knew the impact that would have on my peers.”

Surprisingly, given his political allegiances, he is happy to be compared to William Hague.

He said: “Like me William Hague went to a state school. He was young, he had a belief that he can make the world a better place. I don’t agree with his politics but I respect where he was coming from.

He added: “I am lucky in a sense because I attend an excellent school who nurture talent and give you unbelievable opportunities to pursue your dreams.

“But what about young people who don’t attend a school like that, who is making sure they stay on the right path, what is their future.”

Headteacher Saeed Hussain praised Hasan for venturing into the world of politics at a young age.

He said: “If you teach young people to be engaged, if you teach them that if you have the right attitude, there are no barriers to what they can achieve.

“We are extremely proud as a school to have played a part in shaping this remarkable young man.

“Like many of our pupils, Hassan has been given the right tools to make a mark on the world.”