Who we are

The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) enables young people to use their energy and passion to change the world for the better. Run by young people for young people, UKYP provides opportunities for 11-18-year-olds to use their voice in creative ways to bring about social change.

UKYP was launched at the House of Commons in July 1999, and held its first Sitting in February 2001 in London. There are currently over 500 elected 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.

Each LEA in England represents a UKYP constituency. In the nations UKYP partners with the Scottish Youth Parliament, Funky Dragon (Wales) and the Northern Ireland Youth Forum to ensure that the voices of all young people in the UK are represented at a national level.

UKYP elections take place each year, in every part of the . Any young person aged 11- 18 can stand or vote in UKYP elections. In the past two years over 550,000 young people have voted in UKYP elections. 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.

UKYP regularly brings together its MYPs 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 UKYP Manifesto, which contains statements on the issues MYPs think are most important. All MYPs 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 UKYP, as more young people hear about us, more decision makers meet and are inspired by our MYPs, and more challenging projects exhibit the real value of involving young people in decision making.