UK Youth ParliamentHandbook

Name

Constituency

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How this handbook can help youThis handbook has a wealth of information contained in its pages, including valuable hints, tips and things for you to think about as a MYP. Please take time to read all of the sections and fill out the relevant information. If in doubt

ask your Local Authority worker to help you or speak to your Regional Secretary (RS) if your region has one or Procedures Group (PG) representative.

Introduction The UK Youth Parliament provides opportunities for 11-18 year olds to use their elected voice to bring about social change through meaningful representation and campaigning.

Members of Youth Parliament are elected in youth elections throughout the UK.

Once elected, MYPs attend and organise events and projects, run campaigns and influence decision makers on the issues that matter to young people.

Our CampaignsMake Your Mark is the UK’s largest youth consultation and is run by the British Youth Council, with the topics decided by the UK Youth Parliament. At the House of Commons event, Members of Youth Parliament debate the top 5 topics from Make Your Mark and then vote for two campaigns, one for a devolved (England only) issue and one for a reserved issue (UK wide). This leads to there being two UKYP priority campaigns each year, one on a devolved issue and one on a reserved issue. This is due to the devolved nature of the UK democracy and to ensure relevant representation of the issues from the all nations.

What we believe inThe views of young people are represented in the UK Youth Parliament Manifesto, which contains statements on the issues MYPs think are most important. You can find the manifesto on our website: www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk

UK Youth Parliament is for everyoneThere are lots of ways for young people everywhere to get involved with the UK Youth Parliament, from supporting campaigns to debating in online forums, utilising social media and filling in online ballot papers. If you know young people that would like to stand for election please email ukyp@byc.org.uk for more details of who to talk to.

The UK Youth Parliament is managed by the British Youth Council, as part of the Youth Voice programme including the Young Mayors Network and Local Youth Council Network.

ContentsFACTS, FIGURES AND INFO

Introduction .................................................................. 2

How this handbook can help you .................................. 2

How it all works ............................................................ 3

What help can I expect? ................................................ 4

Decision making ............................................................ 5

The 7 steps to making policy ......................................... 6

MYP role description .................................................... 8

Code of Commitment and Conduct ............................ 10

Social media guidelines ............................................... 12

The three main parts of Parliament explained ............... 14

Which Laws would you change if you could? ............... 16

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR YEAR AS MYP

What was I elected or voted in to do? .......................... 18

Get Involved with the UK Parliament ............................ 20

Planning a campaign: hints and tips ............................ 21

A few campaign action ideas to get you started: .......... 23

APPENDICES

Key Contacts ............................................................... 24

Jargon buster .............................................................. 26

Constituencies ............................................................. 30

Checklists .................................................................... 32

The National Activity Year ............................................ 34

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FACTS, FIGURES AND INFO

How it all works The beginningThe idea for a youth parliament for the UK, originally came from young people in 1996. Andrew Rowe who was the MP for Faversham and Mid-Kent, championed the proposal in Parliament and beyond. Andrew was later described by an MYP as UKYP’s ‘Founding Father’. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) sponsored the development of a UKYP proposal. Then in 1998 until 2000, a steering group of young people and organisations, chaired by James Moody (a young person), and with the support of two staff (Peter Clarke and Kate Parish), established the organisation and ran the 1st Annual Sitting in January 2001.

NowThe work of UKYP is managed by the British Youth Council (BYC), a national charity working to ensure young people across the UK have a voice. UKYP is managed on a day-to-day basis by a team of BYC programme staff. The work across the regions and nations is overseen by a team of Youth Democracy Coordinators. Their role is to support the work of elected MYPs. They organise the induction meeting, BYC Conventions and support the work of the Procedures Group representative (PG) and Regional Secretary (RS).

The Procedures Group and Regional SecretariesThe PG make the decisions that guide the development of UKYP and agree arrangements for the Annual Sitting and regional BYC Conventions. The group is made up of one PG per region or nation. In some regions they are supported by Regional Secretaries (RS) who assist with regional communications and in the running of BYC Conventions.

UKYP aims and structureUKYP aims to give young people of the UK a voice, which will be heard and listened to by:

• Local, regional and national government

• Providers of services for young people

• Other agencies who have an interest in the views and needs of young people

UKYP:• Is composed of representatives aged 11-18 years

old from across England, Northern Ireland,

Scotland and Wales.

• Encourages the involvement of all young people and is run on a local level through Local Authorities (England only).

• Ensures that young people in the UK are given a voice on any issue that affects them, as laid out in Article 12 of the UN BYC Convention on the Rights of the Child.

• Gives young people the opportunity to be involved in the democratic process at a national level.

• Empowers young people to take positive action within their local communities.

• Is a non-party political organisation, and as such, seeks to represent no party political view. UKYP is solely issue based.

UKYP recognises the regional and national boundaries of the UK. We have Youth Democracy Coordinators who provide support across the 9 English regions. In the 3 nations BYC works with partners and youth voice mechanisms where they exist to ensure young people from across the UK have the chance to unite and strengthen their views to decision makers across the UK.

Each Local Authority across England represents one UKYP constituency. Each constituency is entitled to at least one MYP. The allocation of MYPs in each constituency depends on the number of young people in that area e.g. Blackburn with Darwen in the North West has 1 MYP, while Birmingham in the West Midlands has 5 MYPs, because more young people live there.

What happens next?The short answer… MYPs get to work. There are various areas where MYPs can have a positive impact:

Local level - MYPs are elected in their constituency. At the point of their election, they may choose to work on local campaigns and raise the profile of young people’s voice in their area.

Regional level/Devolved level - MYPs attend BYC Conventions in their term of office. At these events they have the opportunity to share best practice, network with other youth parliaments and youth councils as well as join forces on local campaigns. Their role is to speak to the group on behalf of the young people who elected them, as well as those that didn’t i.e. all of their constituents. The PG representatives then take this to a national platform and make decisions on the Annual

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Sitting, the House of Commons event and UKYP policy.

National level - There are two national events for UK Youth Parliament: the Annual Sitting and the House of Commons.

The Annual Sitting takes place each summer, usually at the end of July. MYPs are asked to consult their constituents before they attend this sitting to be able to amend and change the UKYP manifesto. After the manifesto has been voted on, a national consultation is launched that every 11-18 year old in the UK can take part in called ‘Make Your Mark’. This then informs the House of Commons debate in

November. There are videos of both events on our website which might be worth a viewing!

At the House of Commons event MYPs decide the two priority campaigns for the coming year. They do this by debating the top five topics from the Make Your Mark consultation. Based on these debates they cast two votes for their priority campaigns, one for a devolved (England only) issue and one for a reserved issue (UK wide). This is due to the devolved nature of the UK democracy and to ensure relevant representation of the issues from the all nations.

What help can I expect?

5. Central TeamSupport, advice, press, website and national events

3. Procedures Group representativeNational programme and policy influencer, support and advice

2. Youth Democracy CoordinatorConvention organiser, support and advice to Local Authority and MYP

4. Regional Secretary If you have one, support and advice

1. WorkerLocal Authority or voluntary organisation

MYP

UKYP website [www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk]Check out the website for useful information, news and campaign updates.

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FACTS, FIGURES AND INFO

Decision makingThis is one example of how you could run UKYP within your constituency. BYC recognises that there are many different ways and models, but would encourage you to think about linking and talking to other youth forums in your area. This will help you represent all young people in your constituency more effectively.

UK Youth Parliament

Children and young people in your constituency

Youth Council / Assembly / Forum

MYP

National UKYP campaignsGovernment decision makers and MPs

Make your Mark

Consultation

Annual Sitting and House of

Commons

Conventions

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From local priorities to the UKYP Manifesto:the 7 steps to making UKYP policy In 2011, MYPs completely rewrote the UKYP Manifesto, so that it included where we stood on things like Tax, the UK Constitution and Euthanasia – big issues that hadn’t previously been included in the Manifesto. In 2013, the Manifesto was added to, but not rewritten. This meant that at the Annual Sitting issues would be prioritised before the young people across the UK were consulted, to decide what issues MYPs should be debated in the House of Commons and then become the national campaigns.

Following this the Procedures Group have looked at what worked last year and what could be improved on. This is the current policy-making process:

1 Manifesto StatementsOn the MYP registration form

2 Filtering List given to PG policy group

3 Bring together and combining manifesto points

4 MYP review 5 PrioritisationGetting ready to debate at the Annual Sitting

6 Debate at the Annual Sitting 7 Vote

MYPs are asked for a statement from their election manifestos that they feel should be national UKYP policy. All MYPs should submit their name with their proposal.

These statements will be collected by BYC staff and any points already in the Manifesto will be filtered out by the Procedures Group’s policy sub-group.

The Procedures Group policy sub-group will try and make the list of manifesto points fit together and will also merge similar points to make one point. If two or more points are joined together then the names of all contributing MYPs will be associated with the new point.

This is a chance for MYPs whose names are associated with a point, to review the list and look at the way their point has been adapted. If you’re unhappy with the way your point has been merged with another MYPs, you can contact the PG’s policy sub-group and ask for your name to be removed from the motion.

If all the associated names are removed from a point, then the merged motion does not go through to the manifesto does not go through to the next step (prioritisation). If that happens, the points that were merged will be considered in their original state.

The final list will be prioritised with the issues of most concern to young people at the top. The order or importance will be identified by the number of MYP names supporting each statement, those with the most names will be at the top.

The issues will be debated in the order they were prioritised. The debate will start with an opening speech from the original MYP that proposed the motion. If there are two or more names attached to a point (because it has been brought together from a number of similar points) then these MYPs will decide amongst themselves who will give the opening speech. MYPs will then debate the issue.

The debate will work through the prioritised list, it will be time limited (the debates are scheduled to last longer than the total debate time at the UKYP House of Commons event). We’ll try to get though as many issues as possible (working from the top priority down). Your help in keeping points short and to the point, will mean more MYPs will get the chance to get involved.

All the issues debated at the Annual Sitting will be put to a vote that same day. Any issues that were not debated will not be put to a vote. All issues that gain more than a 50% yes vote will be added to the national manifesto.

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FACTS, FIGURES AND INFO

1 Manifesto StatementsOn the MYP registration form

2 Filtering List given to PG policy group

3 Bring together and combining manifesto points

4 MYP review 5 PrioritisationGetting ready to debate at the Annual Sitting

6 Debate at the Annual Sitting 7 Vote

MYPs are asked for a statement from their election manifestos that they feel should be national UKYP policy. All MYPs should submit their name with their proposal.

These statements will be collected by BYC staff and any points already in the Manifesto will be filtered out by the Procedures Group’s policy sub-group.

The Procedures Group policy sub-group will try and make the list of manifesto points fit together and will also merge similar points to make one point. If two or more points are joined together then the names of all contributing MYPs will be associated with the new point.

This is a chance for MYPs whose names are associated with a point, to review the list and look at the way their point has been adapted. If you’re unhappy with the way your point has been merged with another MYPs, you can contact the PG’s policy sub-group and ask for your name to be removed from the motion.

If all the associated names are removed from a point, then the merged motion does not go through to the manifesto does not go through to the next step (prioritisation). If that happens, the points that were merged will be considered in their original state.

The final list will be prioritised with the issues of most concern to young people at the top. The order or importance will be identified by the number of MYP names supporting each statement, those with the most names will be at the top.

The issues will be debated in the order they were prioritised. The debate will start with an opening speech from the original MYP that proposed the motion. If there are two or more names attached to a point (because it has been brought together from a number of similar points) then these MYPs will decide amongst themselves who will give the opening speech. MYPs will then debate the issue.

The debate will work through the prioritised list, it will be time limited (the debates are scheduled to last longer than the total debate time at the UKYP House of Commons event). We’ll try to get though as many issues as possible (working from the top priority down). Your help in keeping points short and to the point, will mean more MYPs will get the chance to get involved.

All the issues debated at the Annual Sitting will be put to a vote that same day. Any issues that were not debated will not be put to a vote. All issues that gain more than a 50% yes vote will be added to the national manifesto.

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MYP role description (including space for local authorities to add additional requirements)

Role Title: Member of Youth Parliament

Time Commitment:

Attend BYC Conventions, the Annual Sitting and House of Commons. UKYP time commitment is an

estimated 7 hours a month. This does not include programmes run in each constituency.

Duration: 1-2 years, dependent on your Local Authority

How appointed:

Constituency elections

Election rules:• Age range: 11 on the date of the election and up to 18 when their term of office finishes

• Criteria to stand: must live, work or volunteer for a minimum of 14 hours per week, or be in education

for more than the equivalent of three school days a week, in the constituency in which they stand for

election. They cannot stand in more than one constituency in the same year’s election.

• Term of office: starts 1 March for a maximum of two years

Purpose of role: • To support youth voice and actively engage with every young person in their constituency

• To promote the positive work of UKYP

• To attend and participate in all BYC Conventions

• To vote on UKYP policy and campaigns

• To meet regularly with other youth councils and forums in their area

• To take the views of their constituents to BYC Conventions and report on local campaigns

• The work of UKYP is not affiliated with any political party

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FACTS, FIGURES AND INFO

Tasks: • Participate in meetings• Speak on behalf of their constituents• Take part in votes• Take part in the national campaign consultation and support young people in their areas to take part too• Take news of UKYPs work back to their constituency

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Skills: • Approachable• Inclusive of everyone• Experience – none needed, just a desire to get young people’s voices heard

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Exit policy: Not delivering your responsibilities on behalf of the young people you represent, inappropriate behaviour or not meeting the expectations of what we require from an MYP may result in the implementation of a local or national disciplinary procedure. Any punishment or restrictions will be decided based on individual circumstances, but it could ultimately mean dismissal from the UK Youth Parliament.

Staff Support: LA Worker, PG and RS representative and Youth Democracy Coordinator

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Code of Commitment and Conduct Once elected MYPs must agree and sign a Code of Commitment and Conduct that is as follows:

Principles

As an MYP you have the responsibility to uphold the following principles:

• The UK Youth Parliament seeks to represent no party political view and the discussions of the UK Youth Parliament are to be solely issue based

• The UK Youth Parliament will ensure that the young people of the UK are given a voice on any issue that affects them and as laid out in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), as long as it does not affect the rights of others

• The UK Youth Parliament will respect the issues as laid in the UNCRC to ensure that every young person who participates in the work of the UK Youth Parliament has his/her rights respected and protected

• Any young person aged 11 and up to 18, has the right to have his/her view heard and listened to by the UK Youth Parliament

• As an elected MYP your duty is towards:

- The young people who voted for you

- The young people who didn’t vote for you

- Every young person in your LA/Constituency

Responsibility

During your term of office it is your responsibility to:

1. Identify, discuss and debate issues of concern to young people.

You could do this by getting involved in questionnaires, hold surgeries in schools, reply to letters and emails, take part in meetings and respond to plans and consultations.

2. Act on those issues and identify how to make a change at a local level, or resist unwanted change. You must also follow up decisions or actions.

You could do this by lobbying, meeting decision makers, organising consultations and campaigning.

3. Develop and increase the representation of young people to their benefit.

You could do this by supporting your student and youth councils, working with the press to promote a positive image of young people in the media and take opportunities to promote the need to involve young people at meetings and events you attend.

Conduct

As a Member of Youth Parliament we ask you to comply with the following expectations of conduct when undertaking your duties:

1. Your choices and decisions should be informed by what your constituents believe. This is in addition to your own research

2. At all times you should act and communicate in a way that does not damage the reputation of UK Youth Parliament (and therefore the British Youth Council). Communication includes letters, phone calls, face to face meetings and social media.

3. Use a separate dedicated social media profile (such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter) for your role within UK Youth Parliament in order to avoid accusations of party political allegiance. If you would like to make party political statements on your personal profile it should contain no reference to UK Youth Parliament. (See social media guidelines).

4. You should not represent any political party; you should respect and listen to the views of others, challenge discrimination and promote equal opportunities.

Expectations

The following are expected of you during your term of office:

1. It is important that you take your role and duty seriously when you are representing the UK Youth Parliament, both in and outside UK Youth Parliament meetings.

2. You must attend your local youth forum / cabinet meetings and other meetings in your constituency area and maintain regular contact with your worker, which includes answering and responding to emails, texts, phone calls and letters.

3. At local and regional meetings you will be asked to report on what you have done and helped with an action plan. You must notify a worker in advance if you are unable to attend a meeting. This should be 48 hours in advance for a local meeting and 3 weeks for regional or national meetings (unless it is an emergency).

4. As an MYP, you are expected to have, as a minimum, access to an email address through which you can be contacted by the UK Youth Parliament.

5. You should check UK Youth Parliament related emails at least once a week and respond to questions,

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FACTS, FIGURES AND INFO

consultations, meeting requests and anything else related to your role as a MYP.

6. When using the official online groups MYPs should only post messages which are in accordance with the MYP Code of Conduct, and which conform to the BYC Child Protection and Equal Opportunities policies.

7. It is your responsibility to report any difficulties with emails or communication to your worker so we can find a solution. You must report any changes to your contact details (address, phone, email etc.) or problems with receiving messages about UK Youth Parliament within 10 days to your worker and to your regional Youth Democracy Coordinator.

8. It is your responsibility to report any changes in your medical needs or dietary requirements within 10 days to your worker and to the regional Youth Democracy Coordinator.

Support

In return for complying with the Code of Commitment and Code you will receive from UK Youth Parliament and your worker:

1. Regular notice and information about meetings and events.

2. Opportunities to attend regional and national events, meetings and activities. Everyone will be offered these opportunities, but your commitment and what you have done in your term of office will be taken into consideration before agreeing you can attend. Sometimes places may be limited, or the staff and transport costs of attending events too high, so you may not be able to attend every event or meeting that is offered to you.

3. Transport costs to and from your home to all meetings in your role as a MYP should be covered by your Local Authority. Please speak to your Local Authority / BYC to ensure you are not out of pocket for any expenses.

4. Support from a worker to travel to and from regional and national meetings and events where your attendance has been agreed in advance with your worker. Travelling without a worker may be possible only if agreed in advance with parents/carers and your worker.

5. Appropriate refreshments and subsistence while taking your duties

6. Support with your own personal development and

development of your role as a MYP to help you do the best you can.

7. Relevant and appropriate training and accreditation opportunities.

8. Not delivering your responsibilities on behalf of the young people you represent, inappropriate behaviour or not meeting the expectations of what we require from an MYP may result in the implementation of a local or national disciplinary procedure. Any punishment or restrictions will be decided based on individual circumstances, but it could ultimately mean dismissal from the UK Youth Parliament.

I agree to abide by the requirements and recommendations made in this code and recognise that if I do not, I may be in breach of the UK Youth Parliament Code of Commitment and Conduct.

Signed

Date

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Social Media GuidelinesSocial Media is an increasingly powerful tool. The following measures are not compulsory but offer directions on the best ways to use social media now that you’re part of the UK Youth Parliament. Social media is a great tool for building and maintaining your relationships with the professionals, the young people you represent and the people you work with.

Social Media PlatformsBelow are the types of thing’s you’d expect to see if someone was posting on one of these sites about the UK Youth Parliament.

Facebook: I LIKE THE UK YOUTH PARLIAMENT!

Twitter: ON MY WAY TO UKYP! #YOUTHVOICE

Foursquare: THIS IS WHERE UKYP IS!

Instagram: HERE’S A PHOTO OF ME WITH UKYP!

YouTube: HERE I AM TALKING ABOUT UKYP!

Linked In: THE SKILLS I’VE LEARNT WITH UKYP!

Last FM: NOW LISTENING TO ‘UKYP’!

Google+: I DO ENJOY +UKYP!

Some more basic principles...Prevent• If you wish to express your political views it is important

this account is not public and has no references to the UK Youth Parliament (or British Youth Council).

• If you wish to express your political views and interact with local press and colleagues we suggest making a separate account that can be used just for UKYP matters.

• The generic statement ‘All views are my own’ does not cover you if you reference to the UK Youth Parliament and therefore the Code of Conduct still applies.

• Expressing political views through still or moving images should still be distinctly separate to any public account.

• When using social media accounts that reference to the UK Youth Parliament always consider the ethos and principles of the organisation.

Broadcast• Post relevant, timely and meaningful information and

opportunities. This will engage your audiences and encourage them to ‘spread the word’

• Use social media to secure the opinions of the young people you represent, this will also encourage them to talk amongst their friends and family.

• Publicise the events and campaigns you work on – often you’re just a post away from being noticed by the press.

Engage• Interact with your audience by replying and show an

interest in what they’re doing.

• Consider your approach - it’s easy to be misinterpreted or ignored on the internet.

• Connect with people who are interested! This can include the local press, the council, a local MP, the local young people and any decision maker who may be interested in your work and campaigns.

Top tip: If in doubt, leave it out.

Setting up a profile:This is your chance to entice people into following your great work all in just 160 characters and some images.

• Start with an image of yourself. An egg or white silhouette will not encourage anyone to engage with you. Provide a recent clear image of yourself. Presentation is everything.

• Provide a short summary of who you are and the issues you’re passionate about. Being creative and humorous with your words can often reveal your personality .

• Follow the right organisations and public figures. There are plenty of youth organisations fighting for the issues young people care about, keep in touch with their work you can often use them to keep informed on the topic! Your local council, councillors and Members of Parliament are likely to be in Facebook and/or twitter. You can often directly challenge and feedback on their plans and ideas.

• The local & national press can without doubt be of great use, not only to publicise your work but to keep in touch with current affairs and the latest top issues. Maintaining a relationship with local journalists, can often help when you’re looking for a coverage because you will have already established a relationship with them.

• The UK Youth Parliament, British Youth Council and Young Mayors Network are all on Facebook & Twitter; keep in touch with the latest internal news and opportunities so you can share them with your followers.

• Update regularly! To maintain an audience that’s interested in your campaigns you’ll need to regularly update them on what you’re doing!

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FACTS, FIGURES AND INFO

• Pictures and videos! Visual media can often encourage people to check out what you’re talking about. Websites like flickr and YouTube are great places for facilitating pictures and videos and make it very easy for other internet users to share it across the web.

A helping hand...• Facts and figures. Can make a post a lot more

interesting.

• Timing. Think about your audience and when they are likely to be online.

• Hash tags or tags. Tag the relevant organisation. Use popular, established or understandable hash tags. This may be your first opportunity to reach out to people who don’t know about your work or wouldn’t usually be interested.

• Links. The 140 Characters limit is very rarely enough page to say everything you’d like to, give your audience the power to find more information.

• Clear and concise. Your links and wording should be short but still tell the story. Links can often clutter your message and reduce the amount of space you have to write other information (particularly on twitter). Bitly.com and goo.gl are both highly recognised url shorteners that can be used to make long url’s short and tidy.

Find us!• Like our pages on Facebook:

UK Youth Parliament: www.facebook.com/UKYouthParliament British Youth Council: www.facebook.com/BritishYouthCouncil Young Mayors Network: www.facebook.com/YMNetwork

• Follow us on twitter: @UKYP & @bycLIVE

• Primary hash tag: #youthvoice

This hash tag represents the partnership you will form at conventions with youth councillors and Young Mayors. Together your campaigning will be stronger through the use of one hash tag.

Target AudiencesYoung People: It seems obvious but young people are the gateway to ensuring the ideas you’re campaigning for are credible. To get young peoples views, maintaining a relationship with them is important regardless of whether you need their views right now. Often people will shut down instantly if they feel your trying to market something to them i.e. surveys etc. A maintained relationship with them will only make gathering opinions easier.

Press (Journalists/ Local Newspapers): Interact with local journalists and local newspaper posts to create and maintain a relationship with them. This will ultimately encourage them to promote your views when and where possible and will also encourage them to approach you when relevant. Showing an interest may also encourage them to do the same in return. The local newspapers are a gateway to engaging with new people who may not be aware of UKYP and what we do.

Decision Makers: Communicating with local decision makers regularly can mean you have better access to influencing real change within your local area. You also have a better chance of successful invites to events as they will be well informed of the work you do on a day-to-day basis.

Partnerships: By regularly sharing what you’re doing to influence decision makers and promote the voices of young people you may find similar organisations or individuals who are interested in championing or supporting your ideas.

You can also join your region’s Facebook group:

East Midlands: www.facebook.com/groups/YouthVoiceEM/

East of England: www.facebook.com/groups/YouthVoiceEofE/

London: www.facebook.com/groups/youthvoicelondon/

North East: www.facebook.com/groups/youthvoiceNE/

North West: www.facebook.com/groups/youthforia/

Northern Ireland: www.facebook.com/groups/ukypni1314/

Scotland: www.facebook.com/groups/YouthVoiceScotland/

South East: www.facebook.com/groups/YouthVoiceSE/

South West: www.facebook.com/groups/YouthVoiceSW/

Yorkshire and Humber: www.facebook.com/groups/YouthVoiceYH/

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The three main parts of Parliament explainedParliament consists of:

• The Queen (our hereditary monarch)

• The House of Lords (approximately 800 appointed Members)

• The House of Commons (650 elected Members of Parliament)

The QueenYears ago, monarchs ruled the country almost singlehandedly but, over the years, their powers have been handed over to government. The Queen (or King) plays an important part in the machinery of Parliament.

After the general election, the monarch asks the leader of the party with most Members of Parliament (MPs) if he or she thinks they could form a government. If a Prime Minister wants to resign, it is the monarch he or she gives their resignation to.

The Queen comes to the Palace of Westminster once a year to open the new session of Parliament. She goes to the House of Lords, because by tradition, since the 17th century, the monarch has been barred from entering the House of Commons. She reads ‘The Queen’s Speech’, which announces what the government plans to do in the coming year. The Prime Minister writes the speech for her.

The Queen formally agrees all new laws once they have gone through all the stages in Parliament. This is called giving the Royal Assent. These days the Queen does not actually sign any acts.

In the UK, power lies with Parliament not the King or Queen – who is known as a constitutional monarch.

The monarch is known as the Head of State. Countries without a monarch, like the USA or France, generally have a President as Head of State.

The House of Lords• Is a place where new laws are looked at and voted

on by people who have gained a lot of experience in different areas of life, such as science, education, medicine, industry, media, law and religion.

• Some members of the House of Lords belong to the government and they represent the government’s views during debates.

• The House of Lords can debate any issue it chooses besides the laws going through Parliament. This gives its members a chance to air their views or encourage the government to do something.

• Not all peers are appointed. Around 92 Lords inherited their title through their family, and 26 seats in the House of Lords are reserved for Bishops from the Church of England.

Becoming a LordMembers of the House of Lords are generally appointed not elected and they do not receive a salary. Most of the House of Lords is made up of people appointed by the Queen following recommendations from the Prime Minister, and the leaders of the other main parties also recommend people to represent their own parties. In 2000 the government set up the House of Lords Appointment Commission, which suggests individuals who are not in a political party and also checks all other nominations. Anyone can be nominated (as long as they are over 21), which is why they earned themselves the nickname ‘People’s Peers’.

Here are some of the qualities required for a People’s Peer:

• A good record of achievements and experience

• The ability to make an effective contribution

• Good character for example honesty and being trustworthy

• Not a member of any political party

Do you know anyone that you think would make a good peer?

If so, who and why?

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FACTS, FIGURES AND INFO

The House of CommonsThe House of Commons is made up of the Members of Parliament (MPs) elected to represent constituencies in all parts of the UK.

• Most MPs are backbenchers. The backbenches are the seats where an MP sits if he or she is not a government minister or shadow minister in the opposition parties.

• Ideas for new laws usually come from the government.

• A new law (or Bill) can start in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords. Once the MPs or Lords have finished debating a Bill, it passes to the other Chamber to be debated.

• All MPs, government ministers and backbenchers have the important job of improving Bills as they go through Parliament.

• Many MPs sit on select committees, which keep a check on how well the government is working.

Laying down the law• Have you ever heard people complaining about

the fact that we have too many laws?

• Some people think some of our laws need to be changed to bring them up to date.

• Or sometimes new developments mean that completely new laws are needed. For example, before the internet was invented there was no need for laws about downloading copyrighted material for free.

MP fact finder

How many MPs are there?

What is their average salary?

Which party is in political power right now?

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Law Yes/No/Not sure

Why?

Change the school leaving age?

Bring back National Service?

Ban smacking for all children?

Abolish university tuition fees?

Raise the age at which you can drive?

Ban animal experiments?

Get rid of ASBOs?

Allow genetic modification of food?

(add a few laws that you would change below…)

Which Laws would you change if you could?

16

FACTS, FIGURES AND INFO

How easy is it to change the law anyway?It takes time and careful thought, otherwise things can go wrong. Any new law has to be debated in the House of Lords as well as the House of Commons which is time consuming. However, these processes are essential in a democracy to ensure the relevant views and experts are listened to and all viewpoints are considered and debated before any final decisions are made. It can take from a couple of months to a year or more for an idea first set out in a Green Paper to go through all the steps and eventually become an Act.

Law making jargon buster Green Paper: You set out your ideas and ask for comments from the public

White Paper: This sets out what you are going to put in the Bill

Bill: While a new law is being discussed, it’s called a Bill

Act: Once a new law is passed, it’s called an Act

Find out more how Parliament works online: www.parliament.uk/education

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What was I elected or voted in to do?This is the bit where we would like you to think back to your election campaign. What made you stand to be a MYP in the first place? What was it that you were voted in to do? Have you thought about how you are going to deliver that to your constituents? Time to fill in the gaps…

The following is a list of activities that you can do within your constituency to fulfill your role. Some are free, some will cost a little bit, some cost more. You need to plan you activities closely with your Local Authority Worker. This will help ensure that your voluntary role is manageable and still fun!

1. Run regular polls

2. Run street surveys and drop-in meetings

3. Speak at school assemblies about the work you do

4. Go to community events and host a stall or activity

5. Organise a consultation with young people in your area

6. Have regular interviews in local media to raise your profile

7. Hold regular meetings with council officers and elected members

8. Set up or run a Facebook and Twitter account as a MYP for your constituency

9. Feedback the work you are doing on websites, social media and through local press and media

10. Write support materials for other young people in your area to help them take part in campaigns

11. Attend and participate in the Children and Young People’s Board strategic meeting (or equivalent)

12. Ensure you keep a log of all the work you do and report back to your region

13. Submit my monthly Positive Stories report of my activities to www.surveymokey.com/s/YouthVoiceMonthlyLog

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MAKING THE M

OST OF YOUR YEAR AS MYP

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Get Involved with the UK ParliamentThe UK Parliament makes decisions that affect you – from setting the age when you start school to deciding about your pension. Whether you were able to vote in the most recent General Election or not, there are lots of ways that you can find out more about and make your voice heard in the UK Parliament.

Check out… Have you done this?

What did you learn from it?

UK Parliament Week: From 14-20 November 2016, UK Parliament Week is a programme of events that takes place all over the UK. With debates, talks, discussions, film screenings and exhibitions, there are many ways that you can take part.

UK Parliament Week, includes the UK Youth Parliament Sitting in the House of Commons.

www.parliamentweek.org

Contact your MP or a member of the House of Lords: MPs represent all the people in their local area. If you have an issue you want to raise about something that affects people where you live, get in touch with your local MP.

www.parliament.uk/findyourmp

You can also search for, and contact, members of the House of Lords who may have a particular interest in the issue that you want to raise.

www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/lords/

Select Committees: Select Committees look in detail at what the Government does. They hold inquiries and prepare reports on pressing issues. They regularly ask people and organisations for their views to help with their inquiries.

See what inquiries are in progress:

www.parliament.uk/business/committees/inquiries-a-z/current-open-calls-for-evidence/

Petitions: You can start or sign an e-petition to the House of Commons. If your e-petition gets 10,000 signatures, the Government will respond to it. If it gets more than 100,000 signatures it will be considered for a debate.

https://petition.parliament.uk/

FIND OUT MORE

Parliament in nearly 60 seconds: Take a look at these three short animations on How Parliament Works, the General Election and A Brief History of Representation.

www.parliament.uk/howparliamentworks

UK Parliament’s Education Service

Our Education Service connects young people and schools to the UK Parliament. Their site has loads of great resources, videos and games that you can play to help you find out more.

www.parliament.uk/education

For more information go to www.parliament.uk/getinvolved

20

MAKING THE M

OST OF YOUR YEAR AS MYP

Planning a campaign: hints and tipsA campaign is a tool for telling policy makers about something you disagree with, and why you think it should change or even stay the same. It’s a way for you to express your views and gather support for your cause. We want to support you to campaign on the issues that are important to you. Handy hints and tips can also be found at www.byc.org.uk including fact sheets and research to support your campaign. The following table will help you plan the delivery of one of your promises to your constituents.

Campaign plan What will you do?What are your campaign’s aims?

What is the ultimate goal of your campaign? E.g. if your campaign is about public transport, your aim might be for your Local Authority to extend the running hours of your local bus service.

What do you need to do to achieve this?

What steps do you need to take to make your campaign happen? Do you need to conduct some research to gather evidence? Are there any existing campaigns similar to yours? How can you promote your campaign?

Who can you work with to achieve those aims?

Are there any existing groups already campaigning on this issue? You will probably have to contact a range of people in different organisations, some of whom will be very useful and willing to help you.

What resources and support will you need?

What resources will you need – are you going to make posters and leaflets? Compile a list of everything that you will need to use to run your campaign.

For more information go to www.parliament.uk/getinvolved

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Campaign plan What will you do?

What is your timeframe and do you have any deadlines?

Compile a timeline for your campaign, including all events, internal and external and any deadlines you might have. It is a good idea to keep close track of your schedule, and know what you need to do, by when.

What events and actions will you carry out with your campaigners?

What are you going to do to achieve your campaign aims? You could: contact your MP, contact your local council, use research data to write a report, plan a stunt, create a petition, or contact your local newspaper to tell them about your campaign.

How will you measure the success of your campaign?

You can pick measures which will determine the success of your campaign such as ‘X’ amount of people responding to your survey, the amount of press coverage, or your MP asking a relevant question in parliament.

What will you take away from your campaign?

You should assess how effective your campaign has been by looking at its successes and anything in particular that either worked or didn’t work – that way, your next campaign will be even bigger and better!

22

MAKING THE M

OST OF YOUR YEAR AS MYP

Taking ActionDo something quick

Start conversations online: get your friends involved in discussions about UKYP’s campaigns, by posting articles, videos and links. Bring the debate to them! Make sure you follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and you can spread the word to your followers too!

Take a campaign action: visit the ‘Get Active’ pages of our website at http://www.byc.org.uk/get-active.aspx, where you will find information about how to take a quick campaign action, such as writing to your MP to ask them to support a BYC campaign. This only takes a few minutes, and is a really good way to let MPs and other politicians know what you think.

Do something local

Write to your local press: positive media coverage is the key to winning any campaign. You can make a big impact by getting in touch with your local press to tell them about UKYP’s campaigns, by writing a letter to editor or sending a press release.

Involve your local community or your school: community groups act on a local level and play an important role in making communities better places to live for local residents. They are groups of people who already live and work together and could be a great source of support for you campaign.

Do something big

Contact your Member of Parliament about UKYP’s campaigns: contacting your Member of Parliament (MP) about an issue you care about is your right as one of his or her constituents – it’s their job to listen to you. MPs are meant to “represent” their constituent’s interests. Simply write a letter, or ask them to meet with you to discuss the things you’re concerned about in more detail.

Run a panel debate: panel debates allow decision makers and young people to get together discuss issues which affect them. A good panel debate can engage an audience and give them a chance to have their say. You could hold your own debate at your local youth council meeting / in your school assembly and invite local politicians to be on the panel.

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Key Contacts

Job title Name Email Telephone MobileLocal Authority Worker

Youth Democracy Coordinator

24

KEY CONTACTS

Notes

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Accreditation Formal recognition that an organisation or individual has met certain standards and competencies

Advocate Someone to speak on your behalf

Agency An organisation, voluntary, statutory or private company, which is involved in providing services

BIS Department for Business Innovation and Skills

Best Practice An agreed and respected way of doing things

Best Value Framework for getting value for money in ordering and paying for local government services

BME Black and Minority Ethnic Communities

Board Group of people, for example, managing an organisation

BTEG Black Training and Enterprise Group

BYC British Youth Council

CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

CE(O) Chief Executive (Officer)

Charter Mark Award/standard for excellence in providing public services

Commissioning The process of defining an area of work and paying another organisation to do it

Constituency The area you have been elected to represent

Constituents The young people who live in your area, who you represent. When you speak as an MYP, you speak for your constituents and you are expressing their views

County Council Body responsible for most services across a county, including education and youth services.

This forms the top layer of a three-tier management structure (see District or Borough Councils and Town or Parish Councils). Go to www.lga.gov.uk for more information.

DAAT Drugs and Alcohol Action Team

DAT Drugs Action Team

Devolution Transfer of power from central government to any non-central-government body — including local elected governments, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), private bodies, etc.

DfE Department for Education

DCLG Department for Communities and Local Government

DCMS Department for Culture, Media & Sport

DEFRA Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

DFID Department for International Development

DFT Department for Transport

Disaffected Lifestyle reason for not being involved

Jargon buster

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JARGON BUSTER

Disengaged No involvement with services on offer

Disengagement ‘Dropping out’ of a service or activity due to disaffection or barriers to participation

District or Borough Council

Body responsible for local services which are not delivered by the County Council e.g. household waste collection, local planning decisions. This forms the middle layer of the three-tier local authority management structure (see County Councils and Town or Parish Councils)

DMYP Deputy Member of Youth Parliament

DH Department of Health

DPAS Drug Prevention Advisory Service

DWP Department for Work and Pensions

E-Group E-groups are used by some regions to communicate with each other electronically.

Empowerment Supporting people’s voice, expression and skills

EWO Education Welfare Officer

EWS Education Welfare Service

FCO Foreign & Commonwealth Office

FE Further Education

FMA Foundation Modern Apprenticeship

Forum A meeting or group designed to give people a voice

Governance High level, long term strategic management of a service or organisation, often with legal responsibility

HO Home Office

IAG Information Advice and Guidance

Inclusion Being involved

LDD Learning Difficulties and Disabilities

LA Local Authority

LGBTQ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered or Questioning

LSP Local Strategic Partnership

Management Group

Group responsible for day-to-day running of a service or organisation

Mentor A ‘supporting’ individual paired to help another

MOD Ministry of Defence

MOJ Ministry of Justice

Multi-Agency Several organisations working together, often from different sectors, e.g. Drug Action Teams bringing police, health workers and youth service together

MYP Member of Youth Parliament

NEET Not in Education, Employment or Training

NGO Non-Governmental Organisation, e.g. Action Aid, Oxfam, the World Development Movement

NIYF Northern Ireland Youth Forum

Objectives A set of targets or goals which guide an organisation, and against which performance can be measured

Observer Status

Having the right to attend meetings but without voting or decision making powers

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Ofsted Office for Standards in Education. An Inspection body which inspects organisations like schools and Connexions

Outreach Going to young people and offering them services - as opposed to waiting for young people to access services

PA Personal Adviser

Participation Playing a part in all aspects of a service - planning, carrying out, consuming, evaluating

Partnership Organisations which come together to provide a local service

PG Procedures Group - makes the decisions that guide the development of UKYP

Protocols Sets of rules to be used in specific situations, e.g. financial management, or complaints procedures

PRU Pupil Referral Unit

PSHE Personal, Social and Health Education

RDA Regional Development Agency

Regional Organised according to the Government’s regions

SEN Special Educational Needs

Special /Intensive

Service

Specialised support targeted at particular ‘high risk’, high need groups, e.g. looked after young people, young offenders

SRE Sex and Relationships Education

Stakeholders All those who have an interest in an organisation - e.g. partner organisations, young people, youth workers

Statutory Services

Provided by central and local Government and their agencies, e.g. NHS, schools

Sub-Regional Organised in a smaller geographical area, e.g. a County or Unitary Authority

SYP The Scottish Youth Parliament

Town or Parish Council

Body responsible for the most local delivery of services e.g. allotments, street lighting, burial ground maintenance, local community activities. This forms the bottom layer of the three-tier local authority management structure (see County Councils and District or Borough Councils). Go to www.nalc.gov.uk for more information on local councils.

UKYP UK Youth Parliament

YEO Youth Engagement Officer

YOS Youth Offending Service

Young Person’s Charter

Statement of young people’s rights in accessing services, e.g. - Connexions

Youth Democracy Coordinator

(YDC)

Person assigned to co-ordinate and support MYPs at a regional level

YP Young Person

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ADDITIONS

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ConstituenciesThere are 202 constituencies of the UK Youth Parliament. Depending on which nation you are from – they are structured in different ways. Every constituency is given an allocation of Members of Youth Parliament per youth population.

ENGLAND

English constituency are based on Local Authority boundaries.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland UKYP constituencies are based on the same as the UK Parliament

Belfast EastBelfast NorthBelfast South

Belfast WestEast AntrimEast LondonderryFermanagh & South

TyroneFoyleLagan ValleyMid Ulster

Newry & ArmaghNorth AntrimNorth DownSouth AntrimSouth DownStrangfordUpper BannWest Tyrone

WALES

Welsh constituency are based on Local Authority boundaries

Merthyr TydfilIsle of AngleseyCeredigionBlaenau GwentMonmouthshireTorfaenDenbighshireSwanseaCardiff

ConwyGwyneddRhondda, Cynon, TaffPembrokeshireWrexhamBridgendPowysThe Vale of

GlamorganNeath Port TalbotFlintshireNewportCaerphillyCarmarthenshire

NORTH WEST

Blackburn with DarwenBlackpoolBolton Bury Cheshire EastCheshire WestCumbria

HaltonKnowsleyLancashireLiverpoolManchesterOldhamRochdale Salford

SeftonSt. HelensStockportTameside TraffordWarringtonWiganWirral

WEST MIDLANDS

BirminghamCoventryDudleyHerefordshireSandwell ShropshireSolihullStaffordshire Stoke-on-Trent Telford and WrekinWalsallWarwickshire WolverhamptonWorcestershire

SOUTH WEST

Bath and North East Somerset

BournemouthBristol, City of CornwallDevonDorset GloucestershireIsles of Scilly

North SomersetPlymouthPoole - Somerset South

GloucestershireSwindonTorbayWiltshire

SCOTLAND

Scottish constituencies are based on a collection of Local Councils to form UKYP Scottish region constituencies

Central ScotlandNorth LanarkshireFalkirkSouth Lanarkshire

Glasgow & West ScotlandGlasgow CityInverclydeWest DunbartonshireEast Renfrewshire

East DunbartonshireNorth AyrshireRenfrewshireEast Ayrshire

Highland & IslandOrkney IslandsShetland IslandsNa h-Eileanan SiarMorayHighlandArgyll & Bute

LothianEast LothianEdinburgh, City ofWest Lothian

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CONSTITUENCIESYOUNG PEOPLE BASED OVERSEAS

Young people who are based on UK Armed forces bases overseas are entitled to representation in the UK Youth Parliament. Currently we have 1 constituency for those living in Germany and 1 for those living in Cyprus.

Army Welfare Services: British Forces Germany BasesBritish Forces Overseas Youth Service: Cyprus

YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER

BarnsleyBradfordCalderdaleDoncasterEast Riding of YorkshireKingston Upon Hull, City ofKirkleesLeedsNorth East LincolnshireNorth LincolnshireNorth YorkshireRotherhamSheffieldWakefield York

SOUTH EAST

Bracknell ForestBrighton & HoveBuckinghamshireEast SussexHampshireIsle Of WightKentMedwayMilton Keynes

OxfordshirePortsmouthReadingSloughSouthamptonSurreyWest Berkshire West SussexWindsor & MaidenheadWokingham

NORTH EAST

DarlingtonDurhamGatesheadHartlepoolMiddlesbroughNewcastle upon TyneNorth TynesideNorthumberland Redcar and ClevelandSouth TynesideStockton-on-TeesSunderland

LONDON

Barking & Dagenham

BarnetBexleyBrentBromleyCamdenCity of LondonCity of

WestminsterCroydonEalingEnfield

Royal Borough of Greenwich

HackneyHammersmith

and FulhamHaringeyHarrowHaveringHillingdonHounslowIslingtonRoyal Borough

of Kensington and Chelsea

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

LambethLewishamMertonNewhamRedbridgeRichmond U

ThamesSouthwarkSuttonTower HamletsWaltham ForestWandsworth

EAST OF ENGLAND

Bedford Borough CouncilCambridgeshireCentral BedfordshireEssex HertfordshireLutonNorfolkPeterboroughSouthend-on-SeaSuffolkThurrock

EAST MIDLANDS

Derby CityDerbyshireLeicester CityLeicestershireLincolnshireNorthamptonshire Nottingham (City) Nottinghamshire (County) Rutland

East DunbartonshireNorth AyrshireRenfrewshireEast Ayrshire

Highland & IslandOrkney IslandsShetland IslandsNa h-Eileanan SiarMorayHighlandArgyll & Bute

LothianEast LothianEdinburgh, City ofWest Lothian

Mid Scotland & FifeClackmannanshireStirlingFifePerth & Kinross

North East ScotlandAberdeen CityAngusAberdeenshireDundee City

South ScotlandSouth AyrshireMidlothianScottish BordersDumfries & Galloway

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Your UKYP checklist We have come up with a list of things you need to do, to help set you up as an MYP. You don’t have to do all of them, but they may help you influence and meet the right people. This is the time to think about what you can realistically achieve in your term of office too.

Have you… Completed?Returned your MYP registration form?

Uploaded your MYP profile to the UKYP website?

Joined UKYP and BYC facebook pages and followed @UKYP and @BYClive on twitter?

Got a diary to help plan what you are doing and when?

Read any handover notes from the previous MYP and met with them?

Planned what you want to achieve in your term of office?

Filled in the key contacts page at the back of the handbook?

Have all the contact details for schools and youth projects in your constituency?

Have contact details for your Youth Council/ Youth Assembly members

Know what your MP, Councillors and Cabinet members are supposed to do?

Read and have a copy of your LAs priorities to the Children and Young People’s Plan for your constituency (or equivalent – ask your Local Authority worker)

Know about the people you are representing e.g. demographic breakdown of your constituency?

Know how to get your travel and other out of pocket expenses reimbursed?

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CHECKLISTS

Representing your areaDuring your term of office, you will work with MPs, decision makers, councillors and local youth groups on the issues of greatest concern to your constituents.

On a local level, the role of an MYP is to represent young people in your area. Can you answer the following questions? Which of these fit into your action plan for delivering your priorities?

Question How many? Which of your promises does this relate to?

What percentage turnout was there in the last adult elections?

What percentage turnout was there in the last UKYP elections?

How many young people are there in your constituency?

How many young people are on free school meals?

What are the teenage pregnancy rates?

Have the crime rates increased or decreased in the last 3 years?

What is the number of 16-18 year olds not in education, employment or training?

What is the number of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C?

How many hits did the online Positive Activities directory (usually on your local authority’s youth website) get?

What proportion of care leavers are in suitable accommodation?

How many young people aged from 10 to 25 have been a victim of either personal theft or assault in the last 12 months?

What are the reported youth crime and anti-social behaviour hot spots? Are there maps of this?

How can young people access services and facilities by public transport, walking and cycling?

<<fill in your own facts and figures>>

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The National Activity Year

Elected

Induction

NationalCampaign

Activity

NationalCampaign

Day

End of Term

Annual Sitting

MakeYour Mark

House of Commons

Add your dates

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NATIONAL ACTIVITY YEAR

Notes

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BYC SERVICESThe British Youth Council (BYC), the national youth council of the UK, is a charity run by young people for young people. We empower young people to have their say and ensure their voices are heard through a range of services – locally, nationally and internationally.

BYC is happy to provide organisations with expertise across the following areas:

Training, Service and Programmes: Skills training and empowerment opportunities for young people www.byc.org.uk

Consultancy: Consultancy and commissioning advice for organisations supporting young people www.byc.org.uk

Resources: Available for BYC members and our network of youth councils, in person (0845 250 1299), online www.byc.org.uk/resources

BYC VOICEVoice and campaigning: Representing the views of young people to local, national and international decision makers.

We recognise success with the BYC Youth Voice Award and Local Councillor Shadowing Award for democratic engagement, the School Nurse Champion Award and the BYC Youth on Board Awards.

BYC MEMBERSHIPJoin us, either as a youth led organisation in Full Membership or a friend in Associate Membership. www.byc.org.uk/members

SUPPORT USYou can support the work of BYC with donations, sponsorship or your time.

Please get in touch with our Chief Executive.

The British Youth Council

0845 458 1489mail@byc.org.ukwww.byc.org.uk or follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Registered Charity no. 1123224Company Limited by Guarantee no. 6226595Registered in England and WalesRegistered Office: 49-51, East Road, London, N1 6AH