Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
BBC News has learned that the UK Youth Parliament faces the possibility of being discontinued in the coming months due to the government’s reluctance to guarantee further funding. Established in 2000, the UK Youth Parliament was created to engage young people in politics, with over 300 elected members aged between 11 and 18. Each year, these young representatives hold debates in the House of Commons chamber on a day when Parliament is not sitting.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) currently provides taxpayer funding for the youth parliament but has not committed to continuing this support beyond March 2027. Last year alone, the parliament received £453,000 in public funds, and between 2017 and 2024, roughly £2.4 million was spent on the youth parliament alongside other youth-focused initiatives. Although the DCMS spokesperson acknowledged the parliament’s “important legacy,” a government source indicated that the future of the programme in its present form remains uncertain.
An evaluation published late last year showed that while the UK Youth Parliament meets its objectives, only about 25% of young people are aware of its existence, and certain schools reported feeling excluded from the process. In response, the government is working with youth organizations and young people to craft a new programme intended to bolster participation in democracy, with an emphasis on involving under-represented groups. Announcements regarding the new scheme are expected later this year.
Supporters of the UK Youth Parliament emphasize its significance in fostering youth engagement in politics. Bobby Forbes, the former chair of its Youth Select Committee, described it as providing “a direct way to scrutinise government and hold decision-makers to account.” The 18-year-old expressed concerns that removing funding would “be a huge mistake and detrimental to youth voice across the UK.” On the other hand, some politicians, like Conservative MP Jack Rankin, argue that public money should not be used to fund the parliament and suggest voluntary donations as an alternative means of support. The youth parliament operates under the National Youth Agency following the closure of the British Youth Council in 2024 and elects members every one to two years from voters aged 11 to 18 across local authorities
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.