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Teens urge government not to scrap Youth Parliament

Lauren HirstNorth West
BBC A composite image of Ruth Tilaye, Mohammed Dawud Islam and Poppy Williams.BBC
Ruth Tilaye, Mohammed Dawud Islam and Poppy Williams are all members of the UK Youth Parliament

Three young politicians from across the north-west of England have called on the government to rethink plans to axe the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP).

The parliament - which has more than 300 elected members aged between 11 and 18 - was established in 1999 to boost interest in politics among young people.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is not committed to funding the parliament beyond March 2027, leading to speculation it could close.

"Without UKYP, we are losing a role that young people trust, aspire to be and understand they have their support," warned Poppy Williams.

"As the elected member for Knowsley, I have had young people reach out to me for support and advice."

The 16-year-old said she had wanted to become a member of the UKYP to "show young people that no matter what accent they carry, the clothes that they wear and the household that they come from, their voices matter".

She added: "I strongly believe, being from a place like Knowsley, youth voice is a necessity.

"It is one of the few chances we have to put our opinions out and create differences from them."

Poppy Williams Poppy Williams, who is sitting on a concrete bench, is looking to the right and is holding a small microphone. Poppy Williams
Poppy Williams said it was important for young people's opinions to be heard

Mohammed Dawud Islam, a member of the UKYP for Pendle and Burnley in Lancashire, said he wanted to "demonstrate that every young person has a voice".

The 16-year-old said the UKYP acted as a "platform for the concerns of young people to be heard".

"By losing it," he said, "we lose the chance for young people to contribute to positive change towards our nation.

"Many young people want to get involved with politics and they all want to be heard.

"By having representatives from across the country, it helps to bring so many different young people's voices forward."

Mohammed Dawud Islam Mohammed Dawud Islam is standing in front of the door of 10 Downing Street. He is smiling at the camera. Mohammed Dawud Islam
Mohammed Dawud Islam said he wanted to inspire other young people to improve their local communities

Ruth Tilaye, a member of the UKYP for Salford in Greater Manchester, said she wanted to make a positive difference to her society and community.

"Ultimately, I felt very excluded and distant from the decisions and opinions forming my future as a young black woman, and wanted to be the change I would've valued as a young girl," she explained.

The 17-year-old said the UKYP gave "young people a platform of advocacy that we so desperately need".

She added: "I think there is a very common misconception that members of UKYP 'just sit in the Commons and debate', when we do so many projects for our constituencies throughout the two years we are elected."

Ruth Tilaye Ruth Tilaye is sitting on a couch and staring directly in the background. There are gold curtains and wood paneling behind her. Ruth Tilaye
Ruth Tilaye said members advocate "for changes we and our constituents want to see"

Members are elected every one to two years by voters aged 11 to 18 who live, work or go to school in their local area.

Similar schemes are held for the devolved Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish parliaments.

The UKYP received £453,000 in taxpayer support last year, along with about £2.4m on other youth initiatives between 2017 and 2024.

While no final decision has been made on UKYP funding beyond March 2027, a government source said: "The government has not committed to continuing the programme in its current form."

UKYP insiders told the BBC that without government funding, the scheme will likely have to close.

A government review, published in October last year, concluded that while the parliament was delivering on its intended goals, only a quarter of young people know about it and some schools felt "excluded from the process".

The government said it was working with young people and youth organisations to design a new scheme that would help increase their involvement in democracy and decision-making.

A DCMS spokesperson said: "The UK Youth Parliament has built an important legacy since it was established in 1999, giving elected young people a national platform to represent their peers, engage with decision-makers and develop confidence, leadership and skills for life and work.

"This year, the government confirmed £453,000 of funding for the National Youth Agency to deliver the UK Youth Parliament throughout 2026/27, enabling the current cohort of approximately 300 MYPs to complete this year."

Further announcements are due to be made this autumn.

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