UK Youth Parliament
Encyclopedia
The UK Youth Parliament is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom
, consisting of democratically
elected members aged between 11 and 18.
Formed in 2000, the parliament now consists of around 600 members, who are elected to represent the views of young people
in their area to government and service providers. Over 500,000 young people vote in the elections each year, which are held in at least 90% of constituencies. It is currently managed by the British Youth Council
Members meet regularly to hold debates and plan campaigns, at venues including the British Museum
, the House of Lords
and the House of Commons. Young people hold important positions throughout the organisation's management, and it has been endorsed by the leaders of all three main political parties.
entitled "Heirs To The Millennium". After the event, the MP Andrew Rowe
along with the NSPCC
and youth worker Kate Parish began to develop a proposal for the youth advocacy group. In 1998, a steering group was formed, consisting of Andrew Rowe and various young people.
In 2000, Malcolm Wicks
, Department for Education and Employment, agreed to employ a member of staff who would work full time on developing the UK Youth Parliament alongside Kate Parish. Soon after, the first elections for the UK Youth Parliament were held, with the first Annual Sitting being held in February 2000.
(MYP) represents the views and needs of all young people in their area to government, service providers and decision makers locally, regionally and nationally. A Deputy Member of Youth Parliament is elected for each MYP position. Deputies work with and support their Member of Youth Parliament locally and regionally, but are not entitled to attend the Annual Sitting or other national events - unless their MYP is unable to.
There are currently over 600 Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs), including deputies (DMYPs).
currently hold UKYP elections - however, criticism has been raised concerning allegations that teachers in schools where the elections take place will sometimes tell students to vote for their own school's candidate instead of allowing them to choose the candidate they prefer. Young people elect their local area's Member(s) of Youth Parliament (MYPs), who provide a voice for the young people in their area. The number of MYP positions is proportionate to the population of young people in the authority.
Over 1,000,000 votes were cast in the elections between 2006 and 2009. In 2008, 565,802 young people voted, with 1,625 standing as candidates from across England
, Wales
, and Northern Ireland
.
Outside of England, partner organisations undertake the elections; in Scotland
, elections are held every two years for young people to elect their local Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP). The Scottish Youth Parliament
then internally appoints sixteen of their members to represent the nation as their Members of the UK Youth Parliament which means that Scottish MYPs hold a dual mandate
as both a MYP and a MSYP. In Wales
a similar system is used by the Children and Young People's Assembly for Wales, and in Northern Ireland
by the Northern Ireland Youth Forum
.
, Ben Bradshaw
, and Des Browne
. MYPs also hold debates on topical issues, undertake training in campaigning
, democracy
and leadership
, and consult with outside organisations such as the Ministry of Justice, BBC Trust
and Department for Transport
.
At each Annual Sitting, a manifesto
is created, in which MYPs aim to fully represent the issues that affect their constituents in a single document. Policies are developed based on seven key areas: Culture, Media & Sport, Education & Employment, Empowering Young People, Health, International Matters, Law & Society, and Transport, Environment and Rural Affairs. This manifesto is then presented to government as a current overview of young peoples’ views.
The 9th Annual Sitting was held at the University of Kent
from Friday 24 July to Monday 27 July 2009. Keynote speakers included John Bercow
MP and the Archbishop of Canterbury
. The keynote speakers were:
UKYP held its 11th Annual Sitting in 2011 at the University of Leeds
from Friday 22nd July to Sunday 24th July. UKYP were joined by the following speakers:
The event was first held in 2006, and takes place at the British Museum
. It has focused on topics including talent, leadership, and intergenerational relations. Attendees have included Tessa Jowell
, Lord Taylor
and Harriet Harman
.
, making it one of only two organisations to ever use the venue for non-Parliamentary proceedings, the other being the English Speaking Union for their Internation Mace Final on May 12, 2007. The event was chaired by the Lord Speaker
Baroness Hayman and was broadcast on BBC Parliament
.
The debates held were:
suggested that members of the UK Youth Parliament could have annual access to the House of Commons chamber in 2007, but this did not come about until March 2009, when a motion was passed to allow the UK Youth Parliament to use the House of Commons for that year's annual meeting. However, a Conservative Member of Parliament objected, which forced a vote to be taken on the issue, also employing a procedure called "I spy strangers
" (historically used to expel disruptive spectators, but now mostly to disrupt the House's business) to take business in the House beyond 7pm and stifle any possible debate on the issue. On 12 March, a second debate was held in the House of Commons with a vote set to be taken four days later.
On 16 March 2009, 189 Members of Parliament
voted to allow the UK Youth Parliament to debate in the House of Commons, with 16 votes of opposition by Conservative backbencher
s. It was the first time in history that the House of Commons chamber was used by a group other than MPs.
An online vote was held from July to determine the debate topics, which were:
The debates took place in the House of Commons chamber on Friday 30 October 2009, from 11am to 3:30pm. The session was recorded in Hansard
, and the morning debates were broadcast on BBC Parliament the same day. The final two debates were televised later in the week.
The debates were chaired by John Bercow
, Speaker of the House of Commons, who closed the event with a dramatic speech to MYPs in which he described the British National Party
as "a poison which we could well do without". The Speaker is usually expected to remain impartial, so as not to compromise his authority, but in this case was able to express personal opinion because the ornamental mace that indicates Parliament is sitting was not in place.
, Speaker of the House of Commons, after his persistence in supporting the youth parliament. This year the session will be broacasted live on BBC Parliament
from 11am-4pm.
, East Midlands
, West Midlands
, South West
, South East
, North West
, North East
, Yorkshire & Humberside, East of England
.
Regional meetings take place roughly every six weeks, and last around a day. Members share news, issues and resources, in addition to taking part in training to help them in their role.
This represents over a 1,000% increase on last year, showing the depth of interest and passion among young people in the UK today on issues that matter most to them.
The five issues being debated in the House of Commons chamber are -
On the 4th November 2011 Members of Youth Parliament will come from across the UK to debate and vote at House of Commons the most important issue to campaign on in 2012.
They meet a minimum of four times a year to represent their regions nationally, coordinate campaign efforts and organise events such as the Annual Sitting. Reports are taken back to MYPs at their regional meetings.
There are currently 20 members of the Procedures Group. These are David Collier, Funmi Abari, Conal O'Hare, Niall Taggart, Katrina Sugden, Misba Islam, Asma Butt, Jamie Elkaleh, Holly Abbot, Colette Lewis, Josh Harsant, Diko Blackings, Siobhan Brasier, Kate Taylor, Manni Mander, Oliver James Phillips, Sonia Sanghera and Jayde Tunnacliffe.
The British Youth Council
currently manages the UK Youth Parliament after the charity that had run it, Democracy for Young People Ltd, closed down due to lack of funding.
The British Youth Council
recently won a bid, granted by the Department for Education
to lead a national Youth Voice Service. Youth Voice will support young people in influencing local and national Government decision making in England, and provide continued support for the UK Youth Parliament.
The corporate and administrative governance is overseen by the Board of Trustees of the British Youth Council
.
, Conservative Party Leader and British Prime Minister
David Cameron
and Liberal Democrat Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg
. In 2009, Brown described the UK Youth Parliament as "a symbol of the politics we should all strive for - politics that bring people together to work for what is best for us all."
In 2006, the organisation's Head of Programmes Kate Parish was given a National Council for Voluntary Youth Services
Award, for her "commendable dedication to the development of UK Youth Parliament".
In 2008, the UK Youth Parliament was given the Positive Images award by the Children & Young People Now
magazine for exposing young people’s experiences of the current levels of sex and relationships education in a high profile publicity campaign. In 2009, the organisation also received a Brook special achievement award for this campaign.
columnist Tom Utley
as "sublimely fatuous", after MYPs co-signed an open letter with public figures including Davina McCall
and Polly Toynbee
to The Times
. The letter protested against the lack of sufficient sex and relationships education
in schools, and that the UK Youth Parliament believe that this has led to increasing teenage pregnancy
. Utley argues that there is already far too much sex education, and that increasing it would only lead to more underage sex.
A study by the University of Colorado
found that youth participation organisations in the UK, including the UK Youth Parliament, needed to "tackle the unintentional practice of tokenism
". The paper concludes that "failing to act upon [young people's] opinions
or take them very seriously" once they are identified is often a cause of frustration amongst participants.
A 2004 report commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills was critical of UKYP's relationship with the devolved nations, suggesting that it was acting more as an English Youth Parliament. The report noted issues with language for some Welsh representatives, and that it was often difficult for MYPs not near to London to get to meetings with government ministers. It also advocated stronger regional groups, and improvements to ensuring engagement with government is followed up later to assess the impact.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, consisting of democratically
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
elected members aged between 11 and 18.
Formed in 2000, the parliament now consists of around 600 members, who are elected to represent the views of young people
Young People
Young People is a 1961 Mexican crime film directed by Luis Alcoriza. It was entered into the 11th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Teresa Velázquez - Olga * Julio Alemán - El Gato* Adriana Roel - Alicia...
in their area to government and service providers. Over 500,000 young people vote in the elections each year, which are held in at least 90% of constituencies. It is currently managed by the British Youth Council
British Youth Council
The British Youth Council is a UK charity working to empower young people to have a say and be heard. Run by young people for young people, BYC exists to represent the views of young people to government and decision-makers at a local, national, European and international level; and to promote the...
Members meet regularly to hold debates and plan campaigns, at venues including the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
and the House of Commons. Young people hold important positions throughout the organisation's management, and it has been endorsed by the leaders of all three main political parties.
Formation
The concept of a United Kingdom Youth Parliament first arose at an event in CoventryCoventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
entitled "Heirs To The Millennium". After the event, the MP Andrew Rowe
Andrew Rowe
Andrew John Bernard Rowe was a politician in the United Kingdom. He was born in London. He served as Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Mid Kent from 1983 to 1997 and its successor constituency Faversham and Mid Kent from 1997 until he stepped down in 2001 - being replaced by Hugh...
along with the NSPCC
NSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a United Kingdom charity campaigning and working in child protection.-History:...
and youth worker Kate Parish began to develop a proposal for the youth advocacy group. In 1998, a steering group was formed, consisting of Andrew Rowe and various young people.
In 2000, Malcolm Wicks
Malcolm Wicks
Malcolm Hunt Wicks is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Croydon North since 1997. He was MP for Croydon North West from 1992 to 1997.-Early life and education:...
, Department for Education and Employment, agreed to employ a member of staff who would work full time on developing the UK Youth Parliament alongside Kate Parish. Soon after, the first elections for the UK Youth Parliament were held, with the first Annual Sitting being held in February 2000.
Membership
A Member of Youth ParliamentMember of Youth Parliament
A Member of Youth Parliament , is an individual aged between 11 and 18 elected by young people to represent their local area on the UK Youth Parliament. There are currently around 600 MYPs across the United Kingdom....
(MYP) represents the views and needs of all young people in their area to government, service providers and decision makers locally, regionally and nationally. A Deputy Member of Youth Parliament is elected for each MYP position. Deputies work with and support their Member of Youth Parliament locally and regionally, but are not entitled to attend the Annual Sitting or other national events - unless their MYP is unable to.
There are currently over 600 Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs), including deputies (DMYPs).
Elections
The UK Youth Parliament elections are held annually, with all young people between the ages of 11-18 being entitled to vote. In England, 90% of the Local Education AuthoritiesLocal Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
currently hold UKYP elections - however, criticism has been raised concerning allegations that teachers in schools where the elections take place will sometimes tell students to vote for their own school's candidate instead of allowing them to choose the candidate they prefer. Young people elect their local area's Member(s) of Youth Parliament (MYPs), who provide a voice for the young people in their area. The number of MYP positions is proportionate to the population of young people in the authority.
Over 1,000,000 votes were cast in the elections between 2006 and 2009. In 2008, 565,802 young people voted, with 1,625 standing as candidates from across England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Outside of England, partner organisations undertake the elections; in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, elections are held every two years for young people to elect their local Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP). The Scottish Youth Parliament
Scottish Youth Parliament
The Scottish Youth Parliament, also known as SYP, is a democratic, politically independent, inclusive, charity set up by a group of passionate youth workers as a national voice for young people in Scotland....
then internally appoints sixteen of their members to represent the nation as their Members of the UK Youth Parliament which means that Scottish MYPs hold a dual mandate
Dual mandate
A dual mandate is the practice in which elected officials served in more than one elected or other public position simultaneously. This practice is known as double jobbing in Britain and distinguished from double dipping in the United States For example, suppose a...
as both a MYP and a MSYP. In Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
a similar system is used by the Children and Young People's Assembly for Wales, and in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
by the Northern Ireland Youth Forum
Northern Ireland Youth Forum
The Northern Ireland Youth Forum is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, consisting of volunteer members aged between 11 and 25.- NIYF :...
.
Annual Sitting
The Annual Sitting is the parliament's main yearly meeting, which all MYPs attend. It takes place on a university campus over three days. Proceedings include keynote speeches from political figures, followed by question and answer sessions. Past speakers include Hazel BlearsHazel Blears
Hazel Anne Blears is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Salford and Eccles since 2010 and was previously the MP for Salford since 1997...
, Ben Bradshaw
Ben Bradshaw
Benjamin Peter James Bradshaw is a British Labour politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Exeter since 1997, and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport....
, and Des Browne
Des Browne
Desmond Henry Browne, Baron Browne of Ladyton is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 1997 to 2010...
. MYPs also hold debates on topical issues, undertake training in campaigning
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
, democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
, and consult with outside organisations such as the Ministry of Justice, BBC Trust
BBC Trust
The BBC Trust is the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation. It is operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and aims to act in the best interests of licence fee payers....
and Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
.
At each Annual Sitting, a manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
is created, in which MYPs aim to fully represent the issues that affect their constituents in a single document. Policies are developed based on seven key areas: Culture, Media & Sport, Education & Employment, Empowering Young People, Health, International Matters, Law & Society, and Transport, Environment and Rural Affairs. This manifesto is then presented to government as a current overview of young peoples’ views.
The 9th Annual Sitting was held at the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
from Friday 24 July to Monday 27 July 2009. Keynote speakers included John Bercow
John Bercow
John Simon Bercow is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative party....
MP and the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. The keynote speakers were:
- John BercowJohn BercowJohn Simon Bercow is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative party....
, Speaker of the House of CommonsSpeaker of the British House of CommonsThe Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin... - Wes StreetingWes StreetingWesley "Wes" Paul William Streeting is Chief Executive of the Helena Kennedy Foundation, an educational charity that promotes access to higher education to students from further education colleges through bursaries, mentoring and work placements...
, President of the National Union of Students - Jonathan ShawJonathan ShawJonathan Rowland Shaw is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Chatham and Aylesford from 1997 to 2010...
, Minister for the South EastSouth East EnglandSouth East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex... - Rowan WilliamsRowan WilliamsRowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
, the Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
UKYP held its 11th Annual Sitting in 2011 at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
from Friday 22nd July to Sunday 24th July. UKYP were joined by the following speakers:
- John BercowJohn BercowJohn Simon Bercow is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative party....
, Speaker of the House of CommonsSpeaker of the British House of CommonsThe Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin... - Iby Knell, A Holocaust Survivor
- Natascha EngelNatascha EngelNatascha Engel is a German-British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire since 2005. She has extensive involvement in the trade union movement, and has close connections to Gordon Brown....
, Chair of the Backbench Business CommitteeBackbench Business CommitteeThe Backbench Business Committee of the British House of Commons was created on 15 June 2010 through the adoption of a new standing order. It was created soon after 2010 general election, but had been proposed during the previous Parliament by the Wright Committee on Reform of the House of Commons... - Tim LoughtonTim LoughtonTimothy Paul Loughton is a British Conservative Party politician, and has been Member of Parliament for East Worthing and Shoreham since the 1997 general election...
, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Children & Families - Maggie Atkinson, Children's CommissionerChildren's Commissioner for EnglandThe post of Children's Commissioner for England was established under the Children Act 2004 . The Children's Commissioner has a duty to promote awareness of the views and interests of all children in England, in particular those whose voices are least likely to be heard, to the people who make...
- Chris WilliamsonChris WilliamsonChris Williamson is a British architect who co-founded Weston Williamson architectural practice.-Biography:...
, Labour politician - Liam BurnsLiam BurnsLiam Burns is a Northern Irish professional footballer who currently plays as a central defender for Bohemians in the League of Ireland Premier Division.-Playing career:...
, NUS President - Susan Nash, Chair of Young LabourYoung Labour (United Kingdom)Young Labour is the youth section of the British Labour Party. It is open to all Labour members between the ages of 15 and 26, and membership is automatic for those between 15 and 27 joining the Labour Party ....
Circles of Influence
The annual Circles of Influence aims to focus on key youth issues, by engaging government departments, public organisations and young people in an exciting debate format. It involves around 200 Members of Youth Parliament holding discussions seated in a circular shape.The event was first held in 2006, and takes place at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. It has focused on topics including talent, leadership, and intergenerational relations. Attendees have included Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Dulwich and West Norwood since 1992. Formerly a member of both the Blair and Brown Cabinets, she is currently the Shadow Minister for the Olympics and Shadow Minister for London.-Early life:Tessa Jane...
, Lord Taylor
John Taylor, Baron Taylor of Warwick
John David Beckett, Baron Taylor of Warwick is a British member of the House of Lords who became the first black Conservative peer in 1996, after unsuccessfully standing as their parliamentary candidate in Cheltenham in the 1992 general election. Taylor initially practised as a barrister and has...
and Harriet Harman
Harriet Harman
Harriet Ruth Harman QC is a British Labour Party politician, who is the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, and was MP for the predecessorPeckham constituency from 1982 to 1997...
.
House of Lords debates
In May 2008, the UKYP was granted permission to hold a debate between over 300 MYPs in the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, making it one of only two organisations to ever use the venue for non-Parliamentary proceedings, the other being the English Speaking Union for their Internation Mace Final on May 12, 2007. The event was chaired by the Lord Speaker
Lord Speaker
The Lord Speaker is the speaker of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The office is analogous to the Speaker of the House of Commons: the Lord Speaker is elected by the members of the House of Lords and is expected to be politically impartial.Until July 2006, the role of...
Baroness Hayman and was broadcast on BBC Parliament
BBC Parliament
BBC Parliament is a British television channel from the BBC. Its remit is to make accessible to all the work of the parliamentary and legislative bodies of the United Kingdom and the European Parliament...
.
The debates held were:
- RecyclingRecyclingRecycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
and the environmentNatural environmentThe natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species.... - National transportTransportTransport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
concession for young people - Abolish university tuition feesTop-up feesTuition fees were first introduced across the entire United Kingdom in September 1998 as a means of funding tuition to undergraduate and postgraduate certificate students at universities, with students being required to pay up to £1,000 a year for tuition...
- Fair representation of young people in the media
- Lowering the voting age to 16Votes at 16Votes at 16 is a campaign in the United Kingdom which argues in favour of the reduction of the voting age to 16 for all public elections.-Coalition:...
- Single age of adulthood
2007-2009
Prime Minister Gordon BrownGordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
suggested that members of the UK Youth Parliament could have annual access to the House of Commons chamber in 2007, but this did not come about until March 2009, when a motion was passed to allow the UK Youth Parliament to use the House of Commons for that year's annual meeting. However, a Conservative Member of Parliament objected, which forced a vote to be taken on the issue, also employing a procedure called "I spy strangers
Strangers (Parliament of the United Kingdom)
The term stranger is the traditional way of referring to someone physically present in the Palace of Westminster who is neither a member of parliament nor a parliamentary official...
" (historically used to expel disruptive spectators, but now mostly to disrupt the House's business) to take business in the House beyond 7pm and stifle any possible debate on the issue. On 12 March, a second debate was held in the House of Commons with a vote set to be taken four days later.
On 16 March 2009, 189 Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
voted to allow the UK Youth Parliament to debate in the House of Commons, with 16 votes of opposition by Conservative backbencher
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
s. It was the first time in history that the House of Commons chamber was used by a group other than MPs.
An online vote was held from July to determine the debate topics, which were:
- Abolish university tuition feesTop-up feesTuition fees were first introduced across the entire United Kingdom in September 1998 as a means of funding tuition to undergraduate and postgraduate certificate students at universities, with students being required to pay up to £1,000 a year for tuition...
- Youth crimeJuvenile delinquencyJuvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
and how to tackle it - Free transport for over 60sConcessionary Bus Travel Act 2007The Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which entitles all English people who are either disabled or over the age of 60 to free travel on local buses at off-peak times anywhere within England ;...
, but not for young people - CapitalismCapitalismCapitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
, the economy and job opportunities for young people - Lowering the voting age to 16
The debates took place in the House of Commons chamber on Friday 30 October 2009, from 11am to 3:30pm. The session was recorded in Hansard
Hansard
Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
, and the morning debates were broadcast on BBC Parliament the same day. The final two debates were televised later in the week.
The debates were chaired by John Bercow
John Bercow
John Simon Bercow is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative party....
, Speaker of the House of Commons, who closed the event with a dramatic speech to MYPs in which he described the British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
as "a poison which we could well do without". The Speaker is usually expected to remain impartial, so as not to compromise his authority, but in this case was able to express personal opinion because the ornamental mace that indicates Parliament is sitting was not in place.
2010
In 2010 a debate was held to disuses the possibility of the youth parliament returning for a second sitting. This resulted in the decision to allow their return not only for that year, but every year for the remainder of the sitting of the current parliament.2011
In 2011, once again the Members of Youth Parliament will debate in the House of Commons this time having five topics chosen by over 65,000 young people. The event will still be chaired by John BercowJohn Bercow
John Simon Bercow is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative party....
, Speaker of the House of Commons, after his persistence in supporting the youth parliament. This year the session will be broacasted live on BBC Parliament
BBC Parliament
BBC Parliament is a British television channel from the BBC. Its remit is to make accessible to all the work of the parliamentary and legislative bodies of the United Kingdom and the European Parliament...
from 11am-4pm.
Regional
Members of Youth Parliament in England are split into nine geographical regions, which meet and work together regularly: LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
, South West
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
, South East
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
, North West
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
, North East
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
, Yorkshire & Humberside, East of England
East of England
The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. It was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Essex has the highest population in the region.Its...
.
Regional meetings take place roughly every six weeks, and last around a day. Members share news, issues and resources, in addition to taking part in training to help them in their role.
Campaigns
The UK Youth Parliament launched the 'Make Your Mark' ballot in 2011. The purpose of the ballot to get young people from across the UK to determine which five topics the UK Youth Parliament would debate within the House of Commons. The ballot saw phenomenal success when over 65,000 young people completed the ballot after several months of campaigning.This represents over a 1,000% increase on last year, showing the depth of interest and passion among young people in the UK today on issues that matter most to them.
The five issues being debated in the House of Commons chamber are -
- ‘Make public transport cheaper, better and accessible for all’
- ‘No to tuition fees, yes to graduate tax’
- ‘Zero tolerance towards bullying in schools’
- ‘End child poverty’
- ‘A Greener future for Britain’
On the 4th November 2011 Members of Youth Parliament will come from across the UK to debate and vote at House of Commons the most important issue to campaign on in 2012.
Procedures Group
Decisions regarding the development and progression of the organisation is undertaken by the Procedures Group, made up of two MYPs elected from each region and nation (known as "PGs"), for an 18-month term. Their main focus is "key decisions relating to the membership and the programme of work, within the given strategic boundaries".They meet a minimum of four times a year to represent their regions nationally, coordinate campaign efforts and organise events such as the Annual Sitting. Reports are taken back to MYPs at their regional meetings.
There are currently 20 members of the Procedures Group. These are David Collier, Funmi Abari, Conal O'Hare, Niall Taggart, Katrina Sugden, Misba Islam, Asma Butt, Jamie Elkaleh, Holly Abbot, Colette Lewis, Josh Harsant, Diko Blackings, Siobhan Brasier, Kate Taylor, Manni Mander, Oliver James Phillips, Sonia Sanghera and Jayde Tunnacliffe.
Management and Support
The British Youth Council
British Youth Council
The British Youth Council is a UK charity working to empower young people to have a say and be heard. Run by young people for young people, BYC exists to represent the views of young people to government and decision-makers at a local, national, European and international level; and to promote the...
currently manages the UK Youth Parliament after the charity that had run it, Democracy for Young People Ltd, closed down due to lack of funding.
The British Youth Council
British Youth Council
The British Youth Council is a UK charity working to empower young people to have a say and be heard. Run by young people for young people, BYC exists to represent the views of young people to government and decision-makers at a local, national, European and international level; and to promote the...
recently won a bid, granted by the Department for Education
Department for Education
The Department for Education is a department of the UK government responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education....
to lead a national Youth Voice Service. Youth Voice will support young people in influencing local and national Government decision making in England, and provide continued support for the UK Youth Parliament.
The corporate and administrative governance is overseen by the Board of Trustees of the British Youth Council
British Youth Council
The British Youth Council is a UK charity working to empower young people to have a say and be heard. Run by young people for young people, BYC exists to represent the views of young people to government and decision-makers at a local, national, European and international level; and to promote the...
.
Praise
The organisation has been endorsed by former Prime Minister Gordon BrownGordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, Conservative Party Leader and British Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
and Liberal Democrat Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg
Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
. In 2009, Brown described the UK Youth Parliament as "a symbol of the politics we should all strive for - politics that bring people together to work for what is best for us all."
In 2006, the organisation's Head of Programmes Kate Parish was given a National Council for Voluntary Youth Services
National Council for Voluntary Youth Services
The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services is a membership network of around 170 voluntary and community organisations, as well as local and regional networks, who work with young people and operate in England...
Award, for her "commendable dedication to the development of UK Youth Parliament".
In 2008, the UK Youth Parliament was given the Positive Images award by the Children & Young People Now
Children & Young People Now
Children & Young People Now is a weekly magazine covering issues relating to children and young people in the United Kingdom.Children & Young People Now is the result of the merging of Children Now, produced in association with the National Children's Bureau, and sister magazine Young People Now,...
magazine for exposing young people’s experiences of the current levels of sex and relationships education in a high profile publicity campaign. In 2009, the organisation also received a Brook special achievement award for this campaign.
Criticism
The organisation has been described by Daily MailDaily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
columnist Tom Utley
Tom Utley
Tom Utley is a British journalist who currently writes for the Daily Mail. He had previously written for The Daily Telegraph, where he was described by The Independent as a 'star columnist', but left in early 2006 after being offered a salary of £120,000 by the Daily Mail. He is the son of the...
as "sublimely fatuous", after MYPs co-signed an open letter with public figures including Davina McCall
Davina McCall
Davina McCall is an English television presenter and actress, most notable as the presenter of the UK version of Big Brother up until its move to Channel 5.- Early life :...
and Polly Toynbee
Polly Toynbee
Polly Toynbee is a British journalist and writer, and has been a columnist for The Guardian newspaper since 1998. She is a social democrat and broadly supports the Labour Party, while urging it in many areas to be more left-wing...
to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. The letter protested against the lack of sufficient sex and relationships education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
in schools, and that the UK Youth Parliament believe that this has led to increasing teenage pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy is a pregnancy of a female under the age of 20 when the pregnancy ends. It generally refers to a female who is unmarried and usually refers to an unplanned pregnancy...
. Utley argues that there is already far too much sex education, and that increasing it would only lead to more underage sex.
A study by the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
found that youth participation organisations in the UK, including the UK Youth Parliament, needed to "tackle the unintentional practice of tokenism
Tokenism
In the arts, employment, and politics, tokenism is a policy or practice of limited inclusion or artistic and/or political representation of members of a traditionally marginalized group, usually creating a false appearance of inclusive practices rather than discrimination, intentional or not...
". The paper concludes that "failing to act upon [young people's] opinions
or take them very seriously" once they are identified is often a cause of frustration amongst participants.
A 2004 report commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills was critical of UKYP's relationship with the devolved nations, suggesting that it was acting more as an English Youth Parliament. The report noted issues with language for some Welsh representatives, and that it was often difficult for MYPs not near to London to get to meetings with government ministers. It also advocated stronger regional groups, and improvements to ensuring engagement with government is followed up later to assess the impact.