uk youth parliament procedures book

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Last modified June 2015

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:

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.


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. receive training appropriate to their role; 2. be involved in the national campaign; 3. meet with key decision makers; and 4. 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.


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 Local Authority/Constituency

Army Welfare Service Cyprus (Eastern Southern Based area)

Army Welfare Service Cyprus (Western Southern Based area)

Army Welfare Service Germany

Army Welfare Service Germany

East Midlands Derby City

East Midlands Derbyshire

East Midlands Leicester City

East Midlands Leicestershire

East Midlands Lincolnshire

East Midlands Northamptonshire

East Midlands Nottingham City

East Midlands Nottinghamshire

East Midlands Rutland

East of England Bedford

East of England Cambridgeshire

East of England Cambridgeshire - Cambridge City

East of England Cambridgeshire - East Cambridgeshire

East of England Cambridgeshire - Fenland

East of England Cambridgeshire - Huntingdonshire

East of England Cambridgeshire - South Cambridgeshire

East of England Central Bedfordshire

East of England Essex

East of England Hertfordshire

East of England Luton

East of England Norfolk

East of England Peterborough

East of England Southend on Sea

East of England Suffolk

East of England Thurrock

London Barking and Dagenham

London Barnet

London Bexley

London Brent

London Bromley

London Camden

London City of London

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London City of Westminster

London Croydon

London Ealing

London Enfield

London Greenwich

London Hackney

London Hammersmith and Fulham

London Haringey

London Harrow

London Havering

London Hillingdon

London Hounslow

London Islington

London Kensington and Chelsea

London Kingston upon Thames

London Lambeth

London Lewisham

London Merton

London Newham

London Redbridge

London Richmond upon Thames

London Southwark

London Sutton

London Tower Hamlets

London Waltham Forest

London Wandsworth

North East Darlington

North East Durham

North East Gateshead

North East Hartlepool

North East Middlesborough

North East Newcastle Upon Tyne

North East North Tyneside

North East Northumberland

North East Redcar and Cleveland

North East South Tyneside

North East Stockton-on-tees

North East Sunderland

North West Blackburn with Darwen

North West Blackpool

North West Bolton

North West Bury

North West Cheshire East

North West Cheshire West and Chester

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North West Cumbria

North West Halton

North West Knowsley

North West Lancashire

North West Liverpool

North West Manchester

North West Oldham

North West Rochdale

North West Salford

North West Sefton

North West Sefton

North West St Helens

North West Stockport

North West Tameside

North West Trafford

North West Warrington

North West Wigan

North West Wirral

Northern Ireland Belfast East

Northern Ireland Belfast North

Northern Ireland Belfast South

Northern Ireland Belfast West

Northern Ireland East Antrim

Northern Ireland East Londonderry

Northern Ireland Fermanagh and South Tyrone

Northern Ireland Foyle

Northern Ireland Lagan Valley

Northern Ireland Mid Ulster

Northern Ireland Newry and Armagh

Northern Ireland North Antrim

Northern Ireland North Down

Northern Ireland South Antrim

Northern Ireland South Down

Northern Ireland Strangford

Northern Ireland Upper Bann

Northern Ireland West Tyrone

Scotland Central Scotland

Scotland Glasgow and West Scotland

Scotland Highland and Island

Scotland Lothian

Scotland Mid Scotland and Fife

Scotland North East Scotland

Scotland South Scotland

South East Bracknell Forest

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South East Brighton and Hove

South East Buckinghamshire

South East East Sussex

South East Hampshire

South East Isle of Wight

South East Kent

South East Medway

South East Milton Keynes

South East Oxfordshire

South East Portsmouth

South East Reading

South East Slough

South East Southampton

South East Surrey

South East West Berkshire

South East West Sussex

South East Windsor and Maidenhead

South East Wokingham

South West Bath & North East Somerset

South West Bournemouth

South West Bristol

South West Cornwall

South West Devon

South West Dorset

South West Gloucestershire

South West Isles of Scilly

South West North Somerset

South West Plymouth

South West Poole

South West Somerset

South West South Gloucestershire

South West Swindon

South West Torbay

South West Wiltshire

Wales Anglesey

Wales Blaenau Gwent

Wales Bridgend

Wales Caerphilly

Wales Cardiff

Wales Carmarthenshire

Wales Ceredigion

Wales Conwy

Wales Denbighshire

Wales Merthyr

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Wales Monmouthshire

Wales Pembrokeshire

Wales Powys

Wales Rhondda Cynon Taf

Wales Swansea

Wales Torfaen

Wales Vale of Glamorgan

Wales Wrexham

West Midlands Birmingham

West Midlands Coventry

West Midlands Dudley

West Midlands Herefordshire

West Midlands Sandwell

West Midlands Shropshire

West Midlands Solihull

West Midlands Staffordshire

West Midlands Stoke on Trent

West Midlands Telford and Wrekin

West Midlands Walsall

West Midlands Warwickshire

West Midlands Wolverhampton

West Midlands Worcestershire

Yorkshire and Humber Barnsley

Yorkshire and Humber Bradford

Yorkshire and Humber Calderdale

Yorkshire and Humber Doncaster

Yorkshire and Humber East Riding

Yorkshire and Humber Hull

Yorkshire and Humber Kirklees

Yorkshire and Humber Leeds

Yorkshire and Humber N E Lincolnshire

Yorkshire and Humber North Lincolnshire

Yorkshire and Humber North Yorkshire

Yorkshire and Humber Rotherham

Yorkshire and Humber Sheffield

Yorkshire and Humber Wakefield

Yorkshire and Humber 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 1st

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 1st

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

mailto:[email protected]

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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 Scottish Council Allocation

Central Scotland North Lanarkshire

Falkirk

South Lanarkshire

3

Glasgow & West Scotland Glasgow City

Inverclyde

West Dunbartonshire

East Renfrewshire

East Dunbartonshire

North Ayrshire

Renfrewshire

East Ayrshire

4

Highland & Islands Orkney Islands

Shetland Islands

Na h-Eileanan Siar

Moray

Highland

Argyll & Bute

2

Lothian East Lothian

Edinburgh, City of

West Lothian

1

Mid Scotland & Fife Clackmannanshire

Stirling

Fife

Perth & Kinross

2

North East Scotland Aberdeen City

Angus

Aberdeenshire

Dundee City

2

South Scotland South Ayrshire

Midlothian

Scottish Borders

Dumfries and Galloway

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:

uk youth parliament procedures book

Documents