Opinion · Euroglobal New
Image source, Getty Images The UK's Youth Parliament - a group of 300 elected young people aged between 11 and 18 - may be forced to close next year. The government have not promised to offer more money to fund the Youth Parliament beyond March 2027. The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) has been running since 1999.
A spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said: "The government has not committed to continuing the programme in its current form." What is the UK Youth Parliament? Image source, Getty Images Every two years, hundreds of 11 to 18 year olds are elected as MYPs - Members of Youth Parliament. Elections are held across the country, with candidates making posters and knocking on doors to win votes.
What is parliament? MYPs are responsible for speaking up about issues that matter to young people in their area, and making sure the adult politicians take notice. They hold debates, make speeches and run campaigns about all kinds of topics, from schools, to health and the environment.
Figure caption, This isn't the first time the UK Youth Parliament has been under threat of closure (from 2024) The youth parliament is run by the National Youth Agency. There has been criticism of the UKYP in the past. A review into the parliament which was published last October found "a lack of awareness among young people of the programme".
This means that it seems that many young people in the UK aren't aware of what the UKYP is. But the review also found some positives. Many of the Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) did enjoy their time in the UKYP and it helped provide them with "unique experiences and opportunities for growth".
No final decision on the UKYP has been made yet. But the government says it is working with young people to create something to replace the UKYP - though it might look quite different. There will be more announcements from the government about the UKYP later this year.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, A member of the UK Youth Parliament takes a selfie with the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle in 2022 Labour MP Peter Swallow has criticised the ending of the UKYP, calling it "short-sighted". He said the UKYP campaigned successfully on the issue of votes for 16-year-olds , which is currently making its way through parliament. And former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith also criticised the decision.
"With nearly a million young people not in education, employment or training, we should be doing more to engage them, not less," he said. But Conservative MP Jack Rankin said it should get money from voluntary donations, rather than money from tax payers if it were to continue.
Source: BBC
