UK Youth Parliament
Applications open online now www.barnetukyp.co.uk
What is the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP)?
The UK Youth Parliament enables you to use your energy and passion to change the world for the better.
The UKYP is a national forum run by the British Youth Council by young people for young people, which provides opportunities to work with Members of Youth Parliament from around the UK.
Barnet has two Members of Youth Parliament (MYP), they are elected by 11 to 18 year olds from across Barnet. During their 2 year term of office MYP’s work with their MPs, decision makers, councillors and local youth groups on the issues of greatest concern to their constituents. The MYP’s also chair Barnet Youth Board where they can take local matters of concern and represent them at a national level.
What does an MYP do?
- MYP’s across the UK work to give young people a voice – listening to marginalised groups, organising events, making films, meeting MP’s, lobbying for change, organising campaigns and appearing in the media, all to amplify the views of their peers
- represent the Young people of Barnet at regional, national and sometimes international events
- take part in an annual debate in the House of Commons chamber, chaired by the speaker of the House of Commons. The MYP’s debate and then vote to decide the top two issues which will become the UK Youth Parliaments priority campaigns for the year ahead
- work on a project that is important to Barnet’s young people and engage with Barnet Youth Board representatives
- work with young people in the borough, attend local festivals and events and engage with local decision makers
What are the benefits?
- UKYP empowers young people to take positive action within their local communities based upon issues of shared concern
- UKYP gives the young people of the UK an opportunity to be involved in a democratic process at a national level.
- playing an active role in local issues
- sense of civic responsibility
How can I get involved?
The elections for Barnet’s Youth Parliament Members takes place from December to March. Dates and events are as followed;
January 2022
Applications open online www.barnetukyp.co.uk
30 January 2022
Online applications close 11.59pm
3 February 2022
Candidate debate evening (details will be sent out to all candidates)
7 February 2022
Voting opens online at 9am
20 March 2022
Voting online closes at 11.59pm
24 March 2022
Election results announced at a presentation evening
What young people say?
“In 10-20 years time, we will be the doctors, the lawyers, the engineers, the managers, and all the roles that are crucial for society. Yet if these aspiring young people do not have the means to voice their opinions and influence decisions made affecting whole populations, it will make their path to the future harder, impacting the whole of society. Therefore, providing young people with a voice enables them to try to rectify their problems in society, or the opportunity to have their needs catered for the way adults do in the borough. This way it ensures that the future of Barnet is destined to maintain its prosperity and close-knit communities.” Member of UKYP, 2018
“Apart from the free pizza that is given to the Barnet MYPs in our monthly meetings, I would say that it would be the freedom that each member is given to plan and coordinate the steps they would take to achieve the goal of their campaign. Although we are youthful, we are not treated like ‘kids’ but approached with trust and maturity as if we genuinely are Barnet MPs. We choose the actions that we would like to take to achieve what we want to achieve, and the staff behind UKYP work with you accordingly to that, offering support from the numerous, skilled departments present within Barnet Council. This enables the MYPs to comfortably work through the thought-intensive tasks that arise in UKYP”. Member of UKYP 2018