UK Youth Parliament
Procedures Book
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Contents
1. Name, status, aims and objectives ..................................................................... 5
2. Members of the Youth Parliament (MYPs) .......................................................... 5
2.1. Membership .................................................................................................. 5
2.2. Allocations .................................................................................................... 5
2.3. Role Description ........................................................................................... 5
2.4. Code of Conduct and Commitment ............................................................... 6
2.5. Term of Office ............................................................................................... 9
2.6. Election Rules for Members of Youth Parliament ......................................... 9
2.6.1. Eligibility to Stand ...................................................................................... 9
2.6.2. Elections .................................................................................................... 9
2.6.3. Candidate conduct in elections .................................................................. 9
2.6.4. National Results Week............................................................................. 10
3. Procedures Group (PG) .................................................................................... 10
3.1. Name and Status ........................................................................................ 10
3.2. Role Description ......................................................................................... 10
3.3 Code of Conduct and Commitment.............................................................. 11
3.4. Term of Office ............................................................................................. 13
3.4. Voting allocations ........................................................................................ 13
3.5. Election Rules ............................................................................................. 13
3.5.1. Eligibility to stand for election................................................................... 13
3.5.2. Voting ...................................................................................................... 14
3.5.3. Notification and nomination process ........................................................ 14
3.5.4. Conduct for election on the day ............................................................... 14
3.5.5. Returning Officer ...................................................................................... 14
3.5.6. Complaints about the elections ................................................................ 15
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3.6 Procedure for the removal of a PG Representative ..................................... 15
4. Meetings ........................................................................................................... 16
4.1. Democratic meetings .................................................................................. 16
4.1.1. Annual Sitting........................................................................................... 16
4.1.2. House of Commons Sitting ...................................................................... 16
4.1.3. Procedures Group (PG) meetings ........................................................... 16
4.2. Business meetings ...................................................................................... 17
4.2.1. BYC Conventions .................................................................................... 17
5. Policy ................................................................................................................ 17
5.1. Policy making process ................................................................................ 17
5.1.2. Manifesto Policy ....................................................................................... 17
5.1.3. UK Youth Parliament Campaigns ............................................................ 18
5.1.4. Procedural Policy ..................................................................................... 18
5.1.5. Changing the rules ................................................................................... 18
6. House of Commons Debate Leads ................................................................... 18
6.1. Allocations .................................................................................................. 18
6.2. Role Description ......................................................................................... 18
6.3. Election Rules ............................................................................................. 18
6.3.1. Eligibility to stand for election................................................................... 18
6.3.2. Candidate conduct in elections ................................................................ 18
6.3.3. Voting ...................................................................................................... 19
6.3.3. Notification and nomination process ........................................................ 19
6.3.4. Conduct for election on the day ............................................................... 19
6.3.5. Returning Officer ...................................................................................... 19
6.3.6. Complaints about elections ...................................................................... 20
Appendices ........................................................................................................... 21
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1. Constituencies ............................................................................................... 21
2. Deputising for a Member of Youth Parliament ............................................... 25
3. Flipping of MYP role ...................................................................................... 26
4. Debate rules for Annual Sitting “Big Vote” ..................................................... 26
5. Local Delivery Areas – England ..................................................................... 27
6. Submitting proposals to change the Procedures Book .................................. 28
7. Delivery in Scotland ....................................................................................... 28
8. Debate Lead additional places rota ............................................................... 29
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1. Name, status, aims and objectives
a) The United Kingdom Youth Parliament shall be referred to as UK Youth
Parliament.
b) The UK Youth Parliament provides opportunities for 11-18 year olds to use
their elected voice to bring about social change through meaningful
representation and campaigning.
2. Members of the Youth Parliament (MYPs)
2.1. Membership
Members of the Youth Parliament (MYPs) are elected locally and supported by their
constituency. There are 379 seats across 205 constituencies.
a) Any young person aged 11-18 can stand to be an MYP.
b) An MYP must stand down on their 19th birthday. Persons aged 19 and over
will not be able to attend national events such as the Annual Sitting and the
House of Commons.
2.2. Allocations
a) Each constituency has an allocation of MYPs.
b) These are based on the number of young people in the constituency to MYPs.
1. The allocation in England is 1 MYP per 22,900 young people.
2. The allocation in Northern Ireland is 18, based on parliamentary
constituencies.
3. The allocation in Scotland is 25, based on 1 MYP per 22,900 young people
(see Appendix 7 for more information).
4. The allocation in Wales is 24, based on 1 MYP per 22, 900 young people.
5. The allocation for the British Armed Force Bases Overseas is 4, with 2 from
Germany and 2 from Cyprus (Western Southern Based area and Eastern Southern
Based area).
2.3. Role Description
a) The role of an MYP shall be to:
1. support youth voice and actively engage with young people in their
constituency reporting back to them on a regular basis;
2. promote the positive work of the UK Youth Parliament;
3. attend and participate in all BYC Conventions or regional/national
meetings; Annual Sitting and the UK Youth Parliament House of
Commons Sitting
4. to vote on and feed into UK Youth Parliament policy;
5. meet regularly with other youth councils and forums in their area;
6. speak on behalf of their constituents;
7. take the views of their constituents to BYC Conventions, the Annual Sitting
and the House of Commons Sitting and report on local campaigns;
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8. ensure that the work of the UK Youth Parliament is not affiliated with any
political party;
9. carry out other tasks as relevant in their constituency
10. take part in Make Your Mark and support young people in their areas to
take part too; and
11. to vote for, campaign on and promote the UK Youth Parliament campaign
priorities
12. communicate to the media as appropriate and under BYC media
guidelines.
2.4. Code of Conduct and Commitment
a) Once elected MYPs must agree and sign a Code of Commitment and
Conduct that is as follows:
Principles
As an MYP you have the responsibility to uphold the following principles:
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The UK Youth Parliament seeks to represent no party political view and the
discussions of the UK Youth Parliament are to be solely issue based
The UK Youth Parliament will ensure that the young people of the UK are
given a voice on any issue that affects them and as laid out in Article 12 of the
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), as long as it does not
affect the rights of others
The UK Youth Parliament will respect the issues as laid in the UNCRC to
ensure that every young person who participates in the work of the UK Youth
Parliament has his/her rights respected and protected
Any young person aged 11 and up to 18, has the right to have his/her view
heard and listened to by the UK Youth Parliament
As an elected MYP your duty is towards:
- The young people who voted for you
- The young people who didn’t vote for you
- Every young person in your LA/Constituency
Responsibility
During your term of office it is your responsibility to:
1. Identify, discuss and debate issues of concern to young people.
You could do this by getting involved in questionnaires, hold surgeries in schools,
reply to letters and emails, take part in meetings and respond to plans and
consultations.
2. Act on those issues and identify how to make a change at a local level, or resist
unwanted change. You must also follow up decisions or actions.
You could do this by lobbying, meeting decision makers, organising consultations
and campaigning.
3. Develop and increase the representation of young people to their benefit.
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You could do this by supporting your student and youth councils, working with the
press to promote a positive image of young people in the media and take
opportunities to promote the need to involve young people at meetings and
events you attend.
Conduct
As a Member of Youth Parliament we ask you to comply with the following
expectations of conduct when undertaking your duties:
1. Your choices and decisions should be informed by what your constituents
believe. This is in addition to your own research
2. At all times you should act and communicate in a way that does not damage the
reputation of UK Youth Parliament (and therefore the British Youth Council).
Communication includes letters, phone calls, face to face meetings and social
media.
3. Use a separate dedicated social media profile (such as Facebook, YouTube and
Twitter) for your role within UK Youth Parliament in order to avoid accusations of
party political allegiance. If you would like to make party political statements on
your personal profile it should contain no reference to UK Youth Parliament. (See
social media guidelines).
4. You should not represent any political party; you should respect and listen to the
views of others, challenge discrimination and promote equal opportunities.
Expectations
The following are expected of you during your term of office:
1. It is important that you take your role and duty seriously when you are
representing the UK Youth Parliament, both in and outside UK Youth Parliament
meetings.
2. You must attend your local youth forum / cabinet meetings and other meetings in
your constituency area and maintain regular contact with your worker, which
includes answering and responding to emails, texts, phone calls and letters.
3. At local and regional meetings you will be asked to report on what you have done
and helped with an action plan. You must notify a worker in advance if you are
unable to attend a meeting. This should be 48 hours in advance for a local
meeting and 3 weeks for regional or national meetings (unless it is an
emergency).
4. As an MYP, you are expected to have, as a minimum, access to an email
address through which you can be contacted by the UK Youth Parliament.
5. You should check UK Youth Parliament related emails at least once a week and
respond to questions, consultations, meeting requests and anything else related
to your role as a MYP.
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6. When using the official online groups MYPs should only post messages which
are in accordance with the MYP Code of Conduct, and which conform to the BYC
Child Protection and Equal Opportunities policies.
7. It is your responsibility to report any difficulties with emails or communication to
your worker so we can find a solution. You must report any changes to your
contact details (address, phone, email etc.) or problems with receiving messages
about UK Youth Parliament within 10 days to your worker and to your regional
Youth Democracy Coordinator.
8. It is your responsibility to report any changes in your medical needs or dietary
requirements within 10 days to your worker and to the regional Youth Democracy
Coordinator.
Support
In return for complying with the Code of Commitment and Code you will receive from
UK Youth Parliament and your worker:
1. Regular notice and information about meetings and events.
2. Opportunities to attend regional and national events, meetings and activities.
Everyone will be offered these opportunities, but your commitment and what you
have done in your term of office will be taken into consideration before agreeing
you can attend. Sometimes places may be limited, or the staff and transport costs
of attending events too high, so you may not be able to attend every event or
meeting that is offered to you.
3. Transport costs to and from your home to all meetings in your role as a MYP
should be covered by your Local Authority. Please speak to your Local Authority /
BYC to ensure you are not out of pocket for any expenses.
4. Support from a worker to travel to and from regional and national meetings and
events where your attendance has been agreed in advance with your worker.
Travelling without a worker may be possible only if agreed in advance with
parents/carers and your worker.
5. Appropriate refreshments and subsistence while taking your duties
6. Support with your own personal development and development of your role as an
MYP to help you do the best you can.
7. Relevant and appropriate training and accreditation opportunities.
8. Breaching the code of conduct (for example not delivering your responsibilities on
behalf of the young people you represent, inappropriate behaviour or not meeting
the expectations of what we require from an MYP) may result in the
implementation of a local or national disciplinary procedure. Any punishment or
restrictions will be decided based on individual circumstances, but it could
ultimately mean dismissal from the UK Youth Parliament.
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2.5. Term of Office
a) This will run from 1 March to 28/29 February each year.
b) MYPs may be elected office for a one or two year term, with the exception of
Members of Youth Parliament in Scotland who stand for an 18 month term
(see Appendix 7 for more information).
2.6. Election Rules for Members of Youth Parliament
2.6.1. Eligibility to Stand
a) Candidates must:
i. be aged 11-18 on the first day on their office.
ii. live, work or volunteer for a minimum of 14 hours per week, or be in
education for more than the equivalent of three school days a week, in the
constituency in which they stand for election. They cannot stand in more than
one constituency in the same year’s election.
2.6.2. Elections
a) All UK Youth Parliament elections should be concluded by the end of February to
coincide with the national results week.
b) Support staff from the constituency are responsible for the running of the elections
and ensuring that they are run appropriately, elections to the UK Youth Parliament
are not the direct responsibility of BYC support staff.
c) MYPs must be elected, this can be done in the following ways:
a. Directly elected (by young people in their constituency)
b. Indirectly elected (by a youth council/another body who have previously been
elected by young people in the same constituency)
c. Constituencies should ensure that there is an equal opportunity for all 11 – 18
year olds who live, work, volunteer for a minimum of 14 hours or a week or
are in education for more than the equivalent of three school days a week in
the constituency to stand and vote in UK Youth Parliament elections.
d. The complaints procedure for any UK Youth Parliament elections should be
publically available.
e. In the first instance, any complaints about UK Youth Parliament elections
should be taken up at a local level with the body responsible for the running of
the elections. If the local complaints procedure has been exhausted and has
not reached a satisfactory conclusion then it may be escalated to the British
Youth Council who are the national body responsible for the running of the UK
Youth Parliament.
2.6.3. Candidate conduct in elections
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a) Candidates are not allowed to produce any written publicity apart from
candidate’s manifesto which will be taken from their application form.
b) Candidates should not hold their own events to promote their candidacy
c) All Candidates must follow BYC’s Equal Opportunities policy.
d) Candidates must not criticise or run down other candidates
e) Candidates who attend Convention 2 as a current PG may be asked to do
speeches or welcome people the event. They will follow a pre agreed script
which will be written in conjunction with the BYC staff team.
f) Candidates attending Convention 2 should not use the sessions and
organised activities to promote their candidacy.
g) If any of these guidelines are broken, candidates and member organisations
are able to complain to the returning officer who will determine an appropriate
response from:
i. a verbal warning
ii. a written warning and members who attend Convention 2
informed
iii. removal of the candidate from election
2.6.4. National Results Week
a) A national results week will take place in will take place in the last full week of
February whereby all the results of UK Youth Parliament elections across the
UK will be announced.
3. Procedures Group (PG)
3.1. Name and Status
a) A Procedures Group will support the UK Youth Parliament programme, make
procedural decisions and represent MYPs
a) The Procedures Group shall be made up of 12 elected representatives, from
the 9 English regions, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
b) The Procedures Group will decide which one of them represents the Members
of Youth Parliament from British Forces Overseas Bases.
3.2. Role Description
a) The role of the Procedures Group shall be to:
1. make national procedural decisions on behalf of, and in the best interests
of, the MYPs in their region;
2. consult with and feedback to their region when making national decisions;
3. put aside personal opinion and biases;
4. read minutes, agendas and their attachments, to inform themselves of
upcoming events, and transfer that information to their region/nation; and
5. support national consultations;
6. support the preparation and planning of the Annual Sitting and the House
of Commons;
7. regularly check the PG communication channels;
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8. contribute to national decision making on behalf of UK Youth Parliament;
9. promote the positive image of UK Youth Parliament;
10. support and work on the national campaign of UK Youth Parliament;
11. to act as a positive role model for all MYPs; and
12. follow the PG Terms of Reference.
13. to ensure that minutes of Procedures Group meetings, if any, are made
available, except where sensitive or confidential matters are discussed.
14. preparation and planning of MYP inductions
15. support MYPs to fulfil their roles
16. engage in Make Your Mark, collecting individual ballots and supporting
MYPs
3.3 Code of Conduct and Commitment
a) Once elected PGs must agree and sign a Code of Commitment and Conduct
that is as follows:
Principles
As a PG you have the responsibility to uphold the following ethos and principles:
1. The UK Youth Parliament will ensure that the young people of the UK are
given a voice on any issue that affects them and as laid out in Article 12 of the
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as long as it does not affect the
rights of others
2. The UK Youth Parliament will respect the issues as laid in the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child, to ensure that every young person who participates
in the work of UKYP has his/her rights respected and protected
3. Any young person aged 11 and up to 18, has the right to have his/her view
heard and listened to by UK Youth Parliament
4. As an elected PG your duty is towards:
a. The young people who voted for you
b. The young people who didn’t vote for you
c. Every young person in your Region/LA/Constituency
Responsibility
During your term of office it is your responsibility to:
1. Identify, discuss and vote on issues and procedures relating to the running of
the UK Youth Parliament
2. Ensure MYPs have the relevant information relating to campaign actions and
similar activities and support them in carrying them out
Conduct
As a Procedures Group representative we ask you to comply with the expectations
of conduct when undertaking your duties:
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1. Your choices and decisions on procedural decisions should be informed by
what you believe is in the interests of the national UK Youth Parliament
programme. This is in addition to your own research.
2. At all times you should act and communicate in a way that does not damage
the reputation of the UK Youth Parliament (and therefore the British Youth
Council). Communication includes letters, phone calls, face to face meetings
and social media.
3. We understand that in people’s private lives they may wish to belong and
support a political party. However care must be taken to make a clear
distinction between your role as a PG and any other party political activity.
Use a separate dedicated social media profile (such as Facebook, YouTube
and Twitter) for your role within UK Youth Parliament in order to avoid
accusations of party political allegiance or make no such statements on your
personal profile.
4. You should respect and listen to the views of others, challenge discrimination
and promote equal opportunities.
5. You should remain impartial when it comes to votes conducted by the
Members of Youth Parliament, for example the vote for the national
campaigns in the House of Commons.
Expectations
The following are expected of you during your term of office:
1. It is important that you take your role and duty seriously when you are
representing the UK Youth Parliament, both in and outside UK Youth
Parliament meetings.
2. You must maintain regular contact with the national BYC staff supporting the
Procedures Group, your YDC and your region, which includes answering and
responding to emails, texts, phone calls and letters.
3. You are required to attend regional and national meetings. You must notify
British Youth Council staff in advance if you are unable to attend a meeting.
This should be 3 weeks in advance for regional or national meetings (unless it
is an emergency).
4. You should check messages on the Procedures Group Facebook group at
least once a week and respond to questions, consultations, meeting requests,
procedures and anything else related to your role as a PG. The e-group
should also be used as a way to network and share ideas with other PGs
across the country.
5. When using any online groups PGs should only post messages which are in
accordance with the PG Code of Conduct, and which conform to the BYC
Child Protection and Equal Opportunities policies.
6. It is your responsibility to report any difficulties with emails or communication
to your YDC so we can find a solution. You must report any changes to your
contact details (address, phone, email etc) or problems with receiving
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messages about UK Youth Parliament within 10 days to the British Youth
Council.
7. It is your responsibility to report any changes in your medical needs or dietary
requirements within 10 days to the British Youth Council.
Support
In return for complying with the Code of Commitment and Conduct you will receive
from BYC:
1. Regular notice and information about meetings and events.
2. Public transport costs to and from your home to all meetings in your role as a
PG which will be booked by your YDC or British Youth Council national staff.
3. Appropriate refreshments and subsistence while undertaking your duties.
4. Support with your own personal development and development of your role as
a PG to help you do the best you can.
5. Relevant and appropriate training and accreditation opportunities.
6. Not delivering your responsibilities on behalf of the young people you
represent, inappropriate behaviour, or not meeting the expectations of what
we require from you may result in the implementation of a disciplinary
procedure. Any punishment or restrictions will be decided based on individual
circumstances, but it could ultimately mean dismissal from the UK Youth
Parliament.
3.4. Term of Office
a) PGs will start their term on 1 February and end on 31 January the following
year.
b) PGs are unable to hold the position of MYP whilst they are a PG
representative.
c) PGs can stand for re-election if they fit the election criteria at election time.
d) The maximum term of office is two years subject to re-election.
e) If a PG representative steps down prior to the induction residential and there
is a sufficient amount of time to hold a by-election, then this will take place.
f) If a PG representative steps down after this point, then the candidate who
came second in the election will be approached to take up the role.
3.4. Voting allocations
a) Each individual Procedures Group member has one vote of equal weighting.
b) There will be no proxy voting for PGs at PG meetings and residential.
3.5. Election Rules
3.5.1. Eligibility to stand for election
a) Candidates must be a serving MYP or existing Procedures Group
representative.
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b) Candidates must be 18 or under (but at least 16 years old) on the first day of
their term of office which is the 1st February every year.
c) Candidates must declare the number of individual Make Your Mark ballots
they have collected in their election speeches.
3.5.2. Voting
a) The following roles are entitled to vote:
1. Members of Youth Parliament
2. PGs that are restanding
b) The election will take place at BYC Convention 2.
c) There will be no remote voting for Procedure Group representatives.
3.5.3. Notification and nomination process
a) Notification of the PG election process should go out at least 5 weeks before the
day of election.
b) Candidates' manifestos should be sent to the relevant Youth Democracy
Coordinator at least 21 days before the day of election.
c) Manifestos will be circulated at least 14 days before the election.
3.5.4. Conduct for election on the day
a) The voting system to be used is single transferable ballot.
b) Speeches can be up to two minutes.
c) The candidate who wins the election will be read out with rankings available upon
request.
d) Results of the election will be communicated to the membership within 72 hours.
3.5.5. Returning Officer
a) The Returning Officer will be appointed from the British Youth Council staff.
They are responsible for:
a. ensuring the election is run fairly and as smoothly as possible, in
accordance with these election regulations and the UK Youth
Parliament rules; and
b. dealing with any disputes that may arise.
b) Their deputies will be the appointed from the British Youth Council staff, and
in the case of the Returning Officer not being able to attend the Deputy
Returning Officer will take on the responsibilities and will make any rulings
necessary.
c) The ruling of the Returning Officer is final.
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3.5.6. Complaints about the elections
a) Any complaints must be emailed to the Returning Officer by the deadline given on
notification of elections.
b) The Returning Officer will consider them and a ruling will be made.
c) Candidates must not use these rules or the complaints procedure as a tactic to
attack others. It is easy to see if this is the case and will not be tolerated.
d) Abuse of the complaints procedure is a serious offence and could endanger a
candidate’s place in the election.
e) No election results will be read out until all complaints are resolved.
3.6 Procedure for the removal of a PG Representative
If 25% of the MYPs within a region/nation are unhappy with the conduct of their
Procedure Representative they should:
a) Share their concerns in writing with their Youth Democracy Coordinator.
b) The Youth Democracy Coordinator will then discuss it with the PG member
concerned and look into increasing support for the PG.
c) Having shared their concerns, the MYPs will inform their Youth Democracy
Coordinator that they wish to propose a “Vote of No-Confidence”.
d) There will be a period of 14 days before the vote takes place to ensure the Youth
Democracy Coordinator may oversee the process and ensure that both sides are
enabled to put forward their case fairly.
e) The vote of no-confidence will then be held at the suggested date and all MYPs
and PG representatives will be informed a minimum of 7 days in advance of the
vote.
f) Prior to the vote both sides will write up and publish their case.
g) All MYPs in that region/nation who are registered with BYC will be able to vote.
h) The Youth Democracy Coordinator must keep records of the vote so that it may
be verified.
i) A simple majority is required for the vote of no confidence to be passed, i.e. if 51%
or more MYPs who vote have no confidence in the PG representative, then that
person will stand down from the position.
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j) If a vote of no confidence fails, another one cannot be called, on the same issue,
within three months.
4. Meetings
a) The business of the UK Youth Parliament will be split into two types: democratic
and administrative.
4.1. Democratic meetings
4.1.1. Annual Sitting
a) The UK Youth Parliament will hold an Annual Sitting once a year.
b) All indirectly or directly elected MYPs will be entitled to attend this event.
c) The event is used to:
1. create and change national manifesto policy (see Appendix 4 for Big Vote
rules);
2. provide an opportunity for MYPs from across the UK to network;
3. enable MYPs to meet with decision makers;
4. train MYPs in skills for their role;
5. and hold the PG to account.
4.1.2. House of Commons Sitting
a) The UK Youth Parliament will hold a House of Commons Sitting once a year.
b) All indirectly or directly elected MYPs will be invited to attend and numbers are
strictly restricted to their allocations.
c) The event is used to choose the national campaigns for the UK Youth Parliament
for the following year.
d) Debate Leads will be elected at Convention 2 to represent each of the regions and
to speak on the issues voted on by MYPs and the young people they represent
throughout Make Your Mark.
4.1.3. Procedures Group (PG) meetings
a) PG representatives meet to make national procedural decisions on behalf of the
MYPs in their region/nation.
b) The PGs may choose to elect a convenor who takes a record of decisions made
and can act as a contact for staff.
c) The PG has the right to set up sub-groups to deal with specific issues at their
discretion.
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4.2. Business meetings
4.2.1. BYC Conventions
a) BYC will hold Conventions across the regions and nations which MYPs and PG
representatives will attend. Conventions are open to all young people engaged with
BYC and will include a UK Youth Parliament specific strand.
b) Conventions will be coordinated by the regional Youth Democracy Coordinator
and PG, supported by central BYC staff.
c) At these meetings, MYPs will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
receive training appropriate to their role;
be involved in the national campaign;
meet with key decision makers; and
share best practice and network.
d) At Convention 2, MYPs will also:
1. elect their PG representative; and
2. elect their Debate Lead.
5. Policy
5.1. Policy making process
5.1.2. Manifesto Policy
a) Manifesto policy will be added to the manifesto annually using the following
procedure.
1. Manifesto statements from each MYP will be taken on the Youth Voice
registration form.
2. A list of these will be given to the PG policy group, statements already in the
UK Youth Parliament national manifesto will be filtered out.
3. Similar manifesto points will be combined and all the MYPs names who have
contributed will be attributed.
4. The UK Youth Parliament Procedures Group will accept requests from MYPs
to have their names removed from manifesto points that they do not feel
comfortable supporting.
5. The final list of manifesto policy motions will be brought forward to a
prioritisation round where the Procedures Group prioritises the motions to
decide the order for debate at the Annual Sitting.
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6. Manifesto motions will be voted on at the Annual Sitting with speeches for
each motion and an open floor debate.
5.1.3. UK Youth Parliament Campaigns
a) The UK Youth Parliament’s reserved and devolved campaigns for the year will be
decided via the Make Your Mark consultation campaign and a vote at the House of
Commons Sitting.
5.1.4. Procedural Policy
a) Procedural policy can be made without this structure by the Procedures Group
through the basis of a vote.
5.1.5. Changing the rules
The rules within this document can be changed by a vote of PGs showing a two
thirds majority.
6. House of Commons Debate Leads
6.1. Allocations
a) There are 15 Debate Lead positions across 5 issues made up of speeches for,
speeches against and summations.
b) Each region/nation and the British Armed Forces Bases Overseas will have one
Debate Lead. 2 regions/nations which will have an extra Debate Lead will be decided
according to the rota in Appendix 8 and 1 will be allocated to the winner of Make
Your Mark.
6.2. Role Description
a) The role of a Debate Lead shall be to:
1. deliver a speech in the House of Commons Sitting.
6.3. Election Rules
6.3.1. Eligibility to stand for election
a) Candidates must:
1. be a Member of Youth Parliament;
2. be able to attend the debate lead residential; and
3. Candidates must declare the number of individual Make Your Mark ballots
they have collected in their election speeches
6.3.2. Candidate conduct in elections
h) Candidates are not allowed to produce any written publicity apart from
candidate’s manifesto which will be taken from their application form.
i) Candidates should not hold their own events to promote their candidacy
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j) All Candidates must follow BYC’s Equal Opportunities policy.
k) Candidates must not criticise or run down other candidates
l) Candidates who attend Convention 2 as a current PG may be asked to do
speeches or welcome people the event. They will follow a pre agreed script
which will be written in conjunction with the BYC staff team.
m) Candidates attending Convention 2 should not use the sessions and
organised activities to promote their candidacy.
n) If any of these guidelines are broken, candidates and member organisations
are able to complain to the returning officer who will determine an appropriate
response from:
i. a verbal warning
ii. a written warning and members who attend Convention 2
informed
iii. removal of the candidate from election
6.3.3. Voting
a) The following roles are entitled to vote:
1. MYPs attending BYC Convention 2
b) There will be no remote voting for Debate Leads.
6.3.3. Notification and nomination process
a) The election will take place at BYC Convention 2.
b) Candidates will be able to nominate themselves five weeks before the election
and close three weeks before the election.
c) Notification of candidates will be circulated by BYC two weeks before the election.
6.3.4. Conduct for election on the day
a) All elections shall be held using single transferable ballot.
b) All ballot papers shall include the option of ‘Abstention’
c) The candidate with the most votes will get elected.
d) Results of the election will be communicated to the membership within 72 hours.
6.3.5. Returning Officer
a) The Returning Officer will be appointed from the British Youth Council staff. They
are responsible for:
1. ensuring the election is run fairly and as smoothly as possible, in
accordance with these election regulations and the UK Youth Parliament
rules; and
2. dealing with any disputes that may arise.
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b) Their deputies will be appointed from the British Youth Council staff and in the
case of the Returning Officer not being able to attend the Deputy Returning Officer
will take on the responsibilities and will make any rulings necessary.
c) The ruling of the Returning Officer is final.
6.3.6. Complaints about elections
a) Any complaints must be emailed to the relevant Deputy Returning Officer by the
deadline given on notification of elections.
b) The Returning Officer will consider them and a ruling will be made.
c) Candidates must not use these rules or the complaints procedure as a tactic to
attack others. It is easy to see if this is the case and will not be tolerated.
d) Abuse of the complaints procedure is itself a serious offence and could endanger
a candidate’s place in the election.
e) No election results will be announced until all complaints are resolved.
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Appendices
1. Constituencies
A constituency is the geographic area or group of people that elect an MYP to
represent them at the UK Youth Parliament. Below is the complete list of the 205
constituencies for the UK Youth Parliament.
Region or Nation
Army Welfare Service
Army Welfare Service
Army Welfare Service
Army Welfare Service
East Midlands
East Midlands
East Midlands
East Midlands
East Midlands
East Midlands
East Midlands
East Midlands
East Midlands
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
East of England
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
Local Authority/Constituency
Cyprus (Eastern Southern Based area)
Cyprus (Western Southern Based area)
Germany
Germany
Derby City
Derbyshire
Leicester City
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
Nottingham City
Nottinghamshire
Rutland
Bedford
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire - Cambridge City
Cambridgeshire - East Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire - Fenland
Cambridgeshire - Huntingdonshire
Cambridgeshire - South Cambridgeshire
Central Bedfordshire
Essex
Hertfordshire
Luton
Norfolk
Peterborough
Southend on Sea
Suffolk
Thurrock
Barking and Dagenham
Barnet
Bexley
Brent
Bromley
Camden
City of London
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London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
London
North East
North East
North East
North East
North East
North East
North East
North East
North East
North East
North East
North East
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
City of Westminster
Croydon
Ealing
Enfield
Greenwich
Hackney
Hammersmith and Fulham
Haringey
Harrow
Havering
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Islington
Kensington and Chelsea
Kingston upon Thames
Lambeth
Lewisham
Merton
Newham
Redbridge
Richmond upon Thames
Southwark
Sutton
Tower Hamlets
Waltham Forest
Wandsworth
Darlington
Durham
Gateshead
Hartlepool
Middlesborough
Newcastle Upon Tyne
North Tyneside
Northumberland
Redcar and Cleveland
South Tyneside
Stockton-on-tees
Sunderland
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackpool
Bolton
Bury
Cheshire East
Cheshire West and Chester
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North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
North West
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland
South East
Cumbria
Halton
Knowsley
Lancashire
Liverpool
Manchester
Oldham
Rochdale
Salford
Sefton
Sefton
St Helens
Stockport
Tameside
Trafford
Warrington
Wigan
Wirral
Belfast East
Belfast North
Belfast South
Belfast West
East Antrim
East Londonderry
Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Foyle
Lagan Valley
Mid Ulster
Newry and Armagh
North Antrim
North Down
South Antrim
South Down
Strangford
Upper Bann
West Tyrone
Central Scotland
Glasgow and West Scotland
Highland and Island
Lothian
Mid Scotland and Fife
North East Scotland
South Scotland
Bracknell Forest
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South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South East
South West
South West
South West
South West
South West
South West
South West
South West
South West
South West
South West
South West
South West
South West
South West
South West
Wales
Wales
Wales
Wales
Wales
Wales
Wales
Wales
Wales
Wales
Brighton and Hove
Buckinghamshire
East Sussex
Hampshire
Isle of Wight
Kent
Medway
Milton Keynes
Oxfordshire
Portsmouth
Reading
Slough
Southampton
Surrey
West Berkshire
West Sussex
Windsor and Maidenhead
Wokingham
Bath & North East Somerset
Bournemouth
Bristol
Cornwall
Devon
Dorset
Gloucestershire
Isles of Scilly
North Somerset
Plymouth
Poole
Somerset
South Gloucestershire
Swindon
Torbay
Wiltshire
Anglesey
Blaenau Gwent
Bridgend
Caerphilly
Cardiff
Carmarthenshire
Ceredigion
Conwy
Denbighshire
Merthyr
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Wales
Wales
Wales
Wales
Wales
Wales
Wales
Wales
West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Yorkshire and Humber
Monmouthshire
Pembrokeshire
Powys
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Swansea
Torfaen
Vale of Glamorgan
Wrexham
Birmingham
Coventry
Dudley
Herefordshire
Sandwell
Shropshire
Solihull
Staffordshire
Stoke on Trent
Telford and Wrekin
Walsall
Warwickshire
Wolverhampton
Worcestershire
Barnsley
Bradford
Calderdale
Doncaster
East Riding
Hull
Kirklees
Leeds
N E Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
North Yorkshire
Rotherham
Sheffield
Wakefield
York
2. Deputising for a Member of Youth Parliament
Where an MYP is unable to attend a local / regional / national event, the
constituency may choose to send a young person to deputise for them. This young
person must be selected from the local youth voice vehicle.
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Any person deputising for an MYP is bound by the code of conduct for MYPs as
stated above.
Any constituencies joining or rejoining the UK Youth Parliament as of 1st January
2015 cannot elect Deputy Members of Youth Parliament.
3. Flipping of MYP role
It is not accepted practice to “flip” an MYP mid-way through an elected term of
office. This is so that the national representatives of each constituency are the young
people who won their elections, and therefore have a democratic mandate to speak
on the behalf of young people in their constituency at a national level.
4. Debate rules for Annual Sitting “Big Vote”
a) A statement will be read out before voting takes place on devolved issues
reminding MYPs from devolved nations that they have the right to abstain.
b) The Order of Debate is determined by the number of MYPs who proposed
each motion. Each debate shall last up to 7 minutes with the Debate Chair
having the discretion to close a debate at any time.
c) A debate shall have an opening 'for' speaker, who will speak for up to 1
minutes. There will then be an open plenary debate with MYPs advised that
their total contribution should not exceed 6 minutes. The debate chair shall
select speakers with the Vice Chair responsible for noting down all those
interested.
d) In the event of the UK Youth Parliament prioritising two motions which oppose
each other, it shall be competent to fold these into one debate, with an
increase maximum limit of 14 minutes. There will then be a speaker for each
motion with it then moving to plenary debate. At the vote, the Chair will outline
that it is a decision between one or the other rather than a vote on both
individually.
e) In the rare event where two opposing motions also contrast with current
policy, the Chair should follow the steps above. However, they should explain
after the main speakers the current position. In the vote, a third option of
retaining current policy will be introduced with MYPs advised that they can
only vote for one of the three options (or to abstain)
f) All plenary contributors should speak for no longer than 6 minutes in total. The
Chair will close the debate after 6 minutes.
g) At the close of a debate, there shall be a vote on the motion with the options
of for, against and abstain (except in the circumstances above). Voting shall
be by raising hands with the vote facilitated by the chair.
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h) The Vice Chair will confirm votes for the Chair to announce. In the event of a
tied vote, as it has failed to be agreed by a majority of MYPs, the vote will fall.
i) Any point of order shall be addressed by the Chair. Should a member wish to
appeal against a ruling of the Chair, the Vice Chair shall provide the final
ruling.
Process for Requesting a Vote of No Confidence against the Chair of a Big
Vote Debate Session
a) If you feel that the Chair of a session is acting outside the given guidelines or
is acting in a way that results in unfair bias, you may request a vote of no
confidence
b) It is important to note that the Chair may act within the realms of his or her
judgment to a reasonable degree
c) To request a vote of no confidence, notify a member of staff overseeing the
Big Vote as soon as possible - it is not necessary for there to be more than
one person in favour of this vote
d) The Big Vote session will be stopped temporarily, and a vote will be held to
determine whether there is a general will to hear the case
e) If this passes, both the session's Chair and the proposer will have the chance
to make their case by way of a 1 minute speech
f) Following this, there will be a vote through a show of hands, and a simple
majority will be used to determine the outcome. In order for the Chair to be
voted out, a total of 50%+1 MYPs need to vote in favour of his or her removal.
g) In the event that a vote of no confidence passes, the Vice Chair will take up
the role of Chair.
5. Local Delivery Areas – England
The UK Youth Parliament constituencies in England are based on Local Authorities’
(LA) areas. Some LAs may choose not to take up this role and in this case the
following procedure can be implemented:
1. An LA needs to give formal notice that is does not want to host the UK Youth
Parliament constituency
2. Depending on the local government system in the area the following
procedure may be put into place
Option 1: A two tier local government structure
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a) An appropriate tier of local government is identified to host the constituency
b) Clear constituency boundaries are established and the allocation of MYPs is
based on this number of 11-18 year olds within the new boundaries and not
of the original constituency
c) A number of new hosts maybe be in included within the original constituency
A host must meet the following conditions:
d) Any elections must adhere to the rules laid out in 2.6.2 in this document.
e) Any constituencies joining or rejoining the UK Youth Parliament as of 1 st
January 2015 cannot elect Deputy Members of Youth Parliament.
Option 2: A one tier local government structure
a) In a one tier local government structure – where the local authority does not
want to host the constituency an appropriate organisation can be indentified in
order to ensure young people are represented.
b) The constituency size can be reduced but clear constituency boundaries are
established and the allocation of MYPs is based on this number of 11-18 year
olds within the new boundaries and not of the original constituency.
A host must meet the following conditions:
c) Any elections must adhere to the rules laid out in 2.6.2. in this document.
d) Any constituencies joining or rejoining the UK Youth Parliament as of 1 st
January 2015 cannot elect Deputy Members of Youth Parliament.
6. Submitting proposals to change the Procedures Book
MYPs can submit a proposal to change the Procedures Book by emailing
[email protected] at any time. Submissions must be kept to 500 words and specify
which rule they want to change and why. The Procedures Group will consider all
submissions and give a written reply within 14 days of the next Procedure Group
meeting on any decisions or actions taken as a result. Any submissions over the
word limit will be sent back to the proposer to amend, and if this is not acted on then
we shall only consider the content of the proposal up to 500 words. Any submissions
which don’t specify the rule to which the proposal refers will be sent back to the
proposer to amend, and if this is not acted on then we shall not consider the
proposal.
7. Delivery in Scotland
We work in partnership with the Scottish Youth Parliament to deliver the UK Youth
Parliament in Scotland, due to the current funding available. Therefore to be eligible
to stand to be a Member of Youth Parliament in Scotland, you currently have to be
an elected Member of Scottish Youth Parliament. The allocation of MYPs in Scotland
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would be 25, based on 1 MYP per 22,900 young people, however we have reduced
this allocation to what is practical based on the funding available, which is 15 young
people. The term of office for Scottish Members of Youth Parliament is flexible to fit
with the Scottish Youth Parliament election schedules.
UKYP Scottish Regions
Central Scotland
Glasgow & West Scotland
Highland & Islands
Lothian
Mid Scotland & Fife
North East Scotland
South Scotland
Scottish Council
North Lanarkshire
Falkirk
South Lanarkshire
Glasgow City
Inverclyde
West Dunbartonshire
East Renfrewshire
East Dunbartonshire
North Ayrshire
Renfrewshire
East Ayrshire
Orkney Islands
Shetland Islands
Na h-Eileanan Siar
Moray
Highland
Argyll & Bute
East Lothian
Edinburgh, City of
West Lothian
Clackmannanshire
Stirling
Fife
Perth & Kinross
Aberdeen City
Angus
Aberdeenshire
Dundee City
South Ayrshire
Midlothian
Scottish Borders
Dumfries and Galloway
Allocation
3
4
2
1
2
2
1
8. Debate Lead additional places rota
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2012
North East
East of England
2013
Scotland
South East
2014
North West
Top turnout in Make Your Mark: North West
2015
London
Top turnout in Make Your Mark:
2016
South West
Top turnout in Make Your Mark:
2017
Yorkshire and Humber
Top turnout in Make Your Mark:
2018
East Midlands
Top turnout in Make Your Mark:
2019
Northern Ireland
Top turnout in Make Your Mark:
30
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