What is the UK Youth Parliament?

The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is an organisation that enables young people to use their energy and passion to change the world for the better. Run by young people for young people, the Youth Parliament gives the young people of the UK, between the age of 11 and 18 a voice, which is heard and listened to by local and national government, providers of services for young people and other agencies who have an interest in the views and needs of young people. (Continued below)

Who are the Members of UK Youth Parliament in Hampshire?

Old Members of UK Youth Parliament in Hampshire (February 2008 - January 2009)

In Hampshire, the UK Youth Parliament work closely with the Hampshire County Youth Council (HCYC), local youth councils (such as Basingstoke & Deane Youth Council (BDYC)), Connexions Youth Forums.

To help us complete our goal of making our mark we are helped by our Borough and County Councils in too many ways to list. The Hampshire members of the UK Youth Parliament would especially like to thank Lynne Meechan and Darryl Sheppard for being amazing youth workers and helping us get to events and meetings!

(Continued) What is the UK Youth Parliament?

The Youth Parliament was launched at the House of Commons in July 1999, and held its first Sitting in February 2001 in London.  There are currently over 500elected MYPs (Members of Youth Parliament) and Deputy MYPs who represent both young men and women, including young people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, and with physical and learning disabilities.

Here in Hampshire the constituencies are: Basingstoke & Deane / Test Valley North, Winchester & Eastleigh, Hart & Rushmoor, New Forest & Test Valley South, East Hants & Havant and Fareham & Gosport. In each area elections take place for positions of the full and deputy member. Any young person aged 11- 18 can stand or vote in the elections. In the past two years over 550,000 young people have voted in UKYP elections across the UK. Once elected MYPs work with their MPs, councillors, school and youth councils and peer group members on the issues of greatest concern to their constituents.  

Regularly, the Youth Parliament holds meetings at a regional level, to organise campaigns, projects and events and identify common issues of concern. UKYP then, where possible, links to the regional Government Offices, Assemblies and Development Agencies to ensure young people’s views are being heard and acted upon.

Nationally, the views of young people are represented in the Youth Parliament Manifesto, which contains statements on the issues members feel are most important. To view the current Manifesto, please click here (PDF). All full members from right across the UK meet once a year at the Annual Sitting to decide UKYP’s campaign priorities for the year ahead.

UKYP is a clear example that young people from all walks of society are interested in politics, and given the opportunity to engage, will do so. In 2006, 53% of UKYP’s MYPs were female and 47% were male, 2% had disabilities and 21% were from black and ethnic minority groups (compared to 8% of the total population, using 2001 census statistics). These figures are in contrast to the widely held belief that politics is dominated by white, middle class males. 

The future is bright for the Youth Parliament, as more young people hear about us, more decision makers meet and are inspired by members, and more challenging projects exhibit the real value of involving young people in decision making.