UK Youth Parliament looks set to be axed
Summary
The UK Youth Parliament, a group that lets young people aged 11 to 18 debate and learn about politics, may lose its government funding soon and could close. The government is planning a new program to involve young people more in democracy, especially those who feel left out, but no final decision has been made yet.Key Facts
- The UK Youth Parliament started in 2000 and has over 300 elected members aged 11 to 18.
- It holds debates once a year in the House of Commons chamber when MPs are not present.
- In the last year, it received £453,000 in government funding, with about £2.4 million spent on youth initiatives since 2017.
- The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has not promised to fund the youth parliament after March 2027.
- A government review found that only about a quarter of young people know about the youth parliament, and some schools feel left out.
- The government is working on a new scheme focused on including under-represented groups in democracy.
- Some MPs and youth leaders say ending funding would harm youth participation in politics, while others believe it is not worth the public money.
- The UK Youth Parliament is run by the National Youth Agency and members are elected every one or two years by young people in local areas.
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