Become a Member of Youth Parliament

From issues like cost of living, climate change and mental health, Members of Youth Parliament address the biggest issues facing young people today to create change for young people, by young people.

Be a part of it and stand to become a Member of Youth Parliament.

Information

To see if your local council is taking part in UK Youth Parliament elections, please us at email at ukyp@byc.org.uk, using ‘Becoming a Member’ as the subject.

If your Council does not take part in the UK Youth Parliament, there are still lots of ways to get involved. Try using our template letter to write to your local councillors and explain why your area should take part, or check out our Make Your Mark page and be part of the largest consultation of 11-18 year olds in Europe!

  • Running youth elections is dependent on several different things, which will often vary regionally. Find out more about how to get involved by reading our Youth Elections Guide.

  • Once you are elected you will be expected to find out the concerns and needs of other young people in your constituency, and represent these views to decision-makers on a local, regional, and national level.
  • During your term of office, you will have the opportunity to get involved in a variety of events, projects and campaigns.
  • Your MP will be keen to hear from you, and many Members of Youth Parliament develop a productive working relationship with their MP, often having regular meetings at the House of Commons and in the constituency.
  • In addition to working locally and regionally, the UK Youth Parliament also undertakes to facilitate meetings between Members of Youth Parliament, Government Ministers and Government Departments on the issues that are raised in the UK Youth Parliament Manifesto.
  • As a Member of Youth Parliament, you will also get an opportunity to attend between six and ten regional meetings during your term of office. Once a year the UK Youth Parliament holds an Annual Conference, which brings together all of the Members of Youth Parliament from across the whole of the UK, for a four day residential to receive training, plan campaigns, update the UK Youth Parliament Manifesto, and socialise!
  • A Member of Youth Parliament’s term of office lasts for up to two years. On average you will need to commit between one and five hours per week on UK Youth Parliament activities.

Each Member of Youth Parliament’s experience is likely to be different from the next. But in general, Members of Youth Parliament will develop a combination of the following skills:

  • Communication 
  • Public speaking 
  • Greater knowledge of politics and current affairs
  • The ability to look at an issue from someone else’s perspective
  • Debating 
  • Teamwork 
  • Leadership 
  • Organisation
  • Negotiation 

Unsure who your local council is?

Visit GOV.UK and find out which local authority serves your area.
TOP