Scottish Youth Parliament

The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) is a youth-led, democratic organisation which aims to represent the young people of Scotland.

The Scottish Youth Parliament
MottoThe Democratically-Elected Voice of Scotland's Young People
Formation1999
Location
FieldsYouth Empowerment
Youth Representation
Chair
Josh Kennedy MSYP
Websitesyp.org.uk

The SYP is made up of around 166 democratically-elected representatives aged 14–25 from across Scotland.[1] Representatives are known as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs). The SYP uses the Scottish Parliamentary constituency structure to elect its members, with elections generally taking place every two years - every constituency area elects two MSYPs using the Single Transferrable Vote electoral system. Over 71,000 votes were cast in the 2019 SYP elections.

Around 22 MSYPs represent Voluntary Organisations such as The Boys Brigade, Scouts Scotland, LGBT Youth Scotland and Haggeye instead of constituencies. These MSYPs are directly elected by the Organisations they represent.

The SYP meets three times a year at events called sittings. These usually take place in different Scottish Local Authorities, but have been online since early 2020 due to COVID-19.

The four core values of the SYP are rights, democracy, inclusion and political impartiality. SYP is non-party political, which means MSYPs do not organise themselves along party lines within the Youth Parliament. All MSYPs essentially sit as independents to avoid partisan politics interfering with their representation of young people.

Campaigns

The SYP campaigns on various issues which affect Scotland's young people.

It has been an advocate for Votes at 16 since its inception in 1999 and has campaigned for it ever since, notably ensuring that Young People aged 16 and 17 could vote in the Referendum on Scottish Independence in 2014.

SYP has campaigned on a range of issues: from its campaign to achieve Equal Marriage – Love Equally - to their Young Carers Campaign – Care. Fair. Share.

SYP's 2017-18 campaign - Right Here Right Now - centred on improving the protection of young people's rights in Scotland, and was successful in securing a commitment from the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) would be incorporated into Scots Law.

The Scottish Youth Parliament's 2018–2019 campaign was "All Aboard", which sought to improve young people's experiences of public transport in Scotland.

At the July 2019 Sitting of the Scottish Youth Parliament, MSYPs choose environmental protection and climate change as their next national campaign. The campaign was named "Pack it Up, Pack it In", and was formally launched in October 2019.

In October 2020, it was decided by the organisation that the next national campaign will focus on a rights-based approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic recovery in Scotland.

Governance

The organisation is radically youth-led, and is governed by a Board of Trustees aged 16-25. This consists of a Chair, Vice Chair, four Trustees and a Conveners Trustee. The roles of Chair, Vice Chair and the four trustees are elected roles voted on by MSYPs at the annual AGM (generally in late June/early July), using the Single Transferrable Vote system. The Convenors Trustee is a convenor of one of SYP's subject committees and is elected by fellow convenors at the AGM.

The Board are responsible for the strategic direction of the organisation, and are officially the charity's legal custodians.[2]

At the 2020 AGM, held virtually in line with COVID-19 restrictions, Josh Kennedy MSYP (MSYP for Renfrewshire North & West) was elected Chair, Liam Fowley(MSYP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) was elected Vice Chair, Sophie Reid (MSYP for Girlguiding Scotland), Wiktoria Orlicka (MSYP for Motherwell and Wishaw), Aaran McDonald FRSA (MSYP for Cunninghame South), Erin Campbell (MSYP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh) were elected trustees and Mollie McGoran (MSYP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) was elected Conveners Trustee.

The Charity is Supported by a Staff Team of 10.[3]

The Current Chief Executive Officer and Company general secretary is Ben McKendrick. The current Deputy Chief Executive Officer is Jamie Dunlop.

The Scottish Youth Parliament is a company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in Scotland. No: SC227548[4] and a charity registered in Scotland No: SC032662[5]

History

At Westminster in 1991, the UK Government ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which established the right for young people to have their views taken seriously within an international legislative context. At the same time, a group of youth workers and young people in Scotland were demanding more youth participation in activities and projects.

In response to this demand for increased youth participation on the one hand, and the UK’s commitment to the UNCRC on the other, charities, councils and the UK Government’s Scotland Office worked to develop ways to engage young people in Scotland on this agenda.

Various meetings and conferences took place during this period which ultimately led to a critical gathering in November 1994: the National Youth Work Conference. At this event, participants made a series of recommendations to gather young people from regional forums and national youth organisations (like Youthlink Scotland, Young Scot), with the support of the UK Government’s Cabinet Office into a single, national youth organisation. This organisation was originally called the Scottish Youth Council (SYC).

In 1997, a referendum was held on Scottish political devolution, which was successful. The following year, the Scotland Act established a Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament, which would be reconvened in 1999.

Devolution was a historic moment for the nation which was accompanied by a re-evaluation of how Scottish democracy could work, and what role citizens should play within it. Young people were seen as a critical part of that conversation, and those who were involved with the Scottish Youth Council wanted to capitalise on this political opportunity.

Youth workers and a planning group of young people worked together to co-design a draft development plan and constitution for a national youth parliament. Though the young people and youth workers generated much of the ideas, they also reached out to European colleagues simultaneously working to establish national youth councils of their own. Remember - this was before the days of email, the Internet and mobile phones, so this was a lot more difficult than it sounds to us now!

After discussion with European youth groups and many meetings with young people and youth workers in Scotland, the planning committee successfully presented their plans to Henry McLeish, a Minister of State for Scotland responsible for setting up the mechanisms behind devolution for a new youth parliament to represent the views of Scottish young people. Soon after McLeish committed to this plan, the Scottish Youth Parliament was launched on 30 June 1999 at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh,[6] one day before the first meeting of the Scottish Parliament.[7]

The group has previously held meetings in the General Assembly Rooms (former temporary home of the Scottish Parliament) in Edinburgh[8] ) and also within the new Scottish Parliament building.,[9] most recently in 2017.

Partner organisations

The Scottish Youth Parliament works in partnership with many other organisations, including:

Chairs

The Chair of SYP is elected, usually annually, by MSYPs.[10]

A normal term of service is twelve months, although some Chairs have served for longer periods of time for reasons such as a delay in the SYP elections, and some for shorter periods of time for reasons such as resignation.

The Chair of SYP is a voluntary position and is unpaid.

The Chair convenes and facilitates meetings of the Board and the full Scottish Youth Parliament. They are the primary ambassador of SYP to the public.

There have, to date, been 19 Chairs of SYP since 2000.

Years of Office Name Constituency/Voluntary Organisation Notes
2000–2001 Steven Jack STUC Youth Committee First officially noted Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament,

First of two Chairs representing a voluntary organisation

2001–2002 Katrina Greig Hamilton North and Bellshill
2002–2004 Steven Kidd Motherwell and Wishaw Served two terms as Chair - first Chair to do so
2004–2005 Paul Kane Glasgow Springburn
2005–2007 Rajiv Joshi Glasgow Govan Served two terms as Chair
2007–2008 John Loughton[11] Edinburgh North and Leith Founder and CEO of youth charity Dare2Lead,[12]

Named 'Outstanding Youth of the World' 2013,[13]

Winner of Big Brother Celebrity Hijack 2008[14]

2008 Kieran Collins Edinburgh South
2009 Sam Kerr LGBT Youth Scotland Second (and to date last) Chair to represent a voluntary organisation
2009–2011 Derek Couper Livingston Served two terms as Chair
2011–2013 Grant Costello East Kilbride Served two terms as Chair,

SNP Westminster Digital Media Manager,[15]

Stood to be the SNP's candidate in East Kilbride in the 2021 Scottish Parliament

Elections[16]

2013–2014 Kyle Thornton Glasgow Southside Conservative Councillor for Newlands/Auldburn ward on Glasgow City Council[17]
2014–2015 Louise Cameron Moray First Chair to represent a constituency outwith the central belt
2015–2016 Jordan Linden Uddingston and Bellshill Depute Leader of the SNP group on North Lanarkshire Council[18]
2016 Katie Burke North East Fife
2016–2017 Terri Smith Edinburgh Northern and Leith
2017–2018 Amy Lee Fraioli Rutherglen Stood in the 2019 European Elections as a Labour candidate in Scotland[19]
2018–2019 Suki Wan Glasgow Shettleston
2019–2020 Jack Dudgeon Eastwood Term as Chair extended due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–Present Josh Kennedy Renfrewshire North and West

[20]

Chief Executive Officers
Years of Office Name Time Served
2002–2003 Alan Gemmell 11 Months
2003–2004 Stephen Bermingham 9 Months
2004–2006 Derek Millar 1 Year, 11 Months
2006–2008 Kelly Chambers 1 Year, 5 Months
2008–2010 Ann Brown 2 Years, 5 Months
Sept 2010-June 2011 Interim CEO 7 Months
2011–2015 Hamira Khan 4 Years, 1 Month
2015 – Incumbent Ben McKendrick 5 Years, 1 Months

[21]

Alumni

Ross Greer, Green MSP for the West of Scotland and the youngest MSP ever elected to the Scottish Parliament[22] (2016-present), is a former MSYP.

Danielle Rowley, former Labour MP for Midlothian (2017-19), is a former MSYP.[23]

See also

References
  1. "Holyrood welcomes back Scottish Youth Parliament" (Press release). Scottish Parliament. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  2. "Who is in charge?". Scottish Youth Parliament. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  3. "Our staff team". Scottish Youth Parliament. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  4. "SCOTTISH YOUTH PARLIAMENT - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  5. "OSCR | Charity Details". www.oscr.org.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  6. "Parliamentary Business : Scottish Parliament" (PDF). Scottish Parliament. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  7. "Our story". Scottish Youth Parliament. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  8. "Photocall and public meeting: Scottish Youth Parliament meeting in Scottish Parliament chamber for first time" (Press release). Scottish Parliament. 23 August 2002. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  9. "Youth Parliament To Sit at Holyrood" (Press release). Scottish Parliament. 28 February 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  10. "Board and Advisers". Scottish Youth Parliament. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  11. Dyke, Peter (3 January 2008). "Big Brother: Meet the contestants". Dailystar.co.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  12. "My Story". John loughton. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  13. "My Story". John loughton. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  14. "My Story". John loughton. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  15. "Top SNP staffer Grant Costello throws hat into ring to be MSP candidate". The National. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  16. "Top SNP staffer Grant Costello throws hat into ring to be MSP candidate". The National. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  17. 1619 (10 May 2018). "Councillor Kyle Thornton". glasgow.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2021.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. Admin Services, Civic Centre (24 August 2009). "North Lanarkshire Council -". mars.northlanarkshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  19. "Amy Lee Fraioli for Scotland in the European Parliament (UK) elections". Who Can I Vote For? by Democracy Club. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  20. "Board Members". Scottish Youth Parliament. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  21. "Board Members". Scottish Youth Parliament. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  22. "Ross Greer MSP". Scottish Greens. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  23. "About Me". Dani Speaks Up. 10 November 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
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