You can get married, join the army and be taxed when you’re 16, so why can’t you vote? At our September Sitting in Aberdeenshire, MSYPs got to work on our latest national campaign to press the Scottish and UK Governments to lower the voting age.
But before we get to the situation where 16 and 17 year olds can have a say in who represents them in Parliament, there’s work to be done on re-engaging young people in the political process. The amount of young people who take part in elections have fallen over the past few years, so we set about coming up with ideas on how young people can be right at the heart of the civic participation.
In his first full Sitting as SYP Chair, Derek Couper MSYP introduced our interactive discussion on “Participation, Citizenship and the road to Votes at 16”, with some help from Secretary of State for Scotland Jim Murphy via video link! MSYPs armed with cards and Pritt Stik got busy thinking up great ideas on how young people can be encouraged to get involved in their communities and educated about the democratic process.
Groups of MSYPs each came up with a 10-point “Participation Charter” including recommendations such as jargon-free communication and well-resourced youth councils. We’ll be using the results to help the Scottish and UK Governments as well as local authorities make plans to engage young people – by letting them know what young people themselves think should be done!
Our campaign for Votes at 16 itself is hotting up, and in the next few weeks, MSYPs will tell MPs and MSPs why they should be given the vote. The politicians will be presented with a mini-ballot box with a message from an individual MSYP, created with care and passion at the Sitting. Over 120 completed ballot boxes were quite a sight – we’re sure they’ll be the talk of Westminster and Holyrood when they pop out of mailbags! MSYPs also found time to create a banner for the “Gude Cause” march that will be heading through Edinburgh in early October.
MSYPs also had a chance to learn about engagement and rights with help from the SYP’s ground-breaking partnership project Roars not Whispers, as well as sharing the views of young people they represent with Young Scot’s Alcohol Commission.
A sunny Sunday on Scotland’s northern coast saw some hot discussions on a number of issues raised as Members Motions – issues that individual MSYPs care about. Well-informed and well-argued points on both sides of the argument took place on whether “large companies should be obliged to consider the social consequences of factory closures and the devastating effect that these can have on local economies”, proposed by East Ayrshire MSYPs Lesley Baird and Mark Rodger in the wake of the closure of the Johnnie Walker factory in Kilmarnock that will have a huge impact on their hometown. After a fascinating discussion on what big companies should have responsibility for, the motion was defeated with 56% of MSYPs in disagreement.
Individual MSYPs also came to the Sitting seeking the SYP’s supports for campaigns close to their heart, and weren’t disappointed! Austin Sheridan MSYP argued the case for a change in the law to allow the deaths of Scots abroad to be investigated here, in support of his fellow MSYP Kenny Faulds’ high-profile “Colin Love Petition”. An overwhelming 91% of MSYPs voted in favour of lending the support of the Scottish Youth Parliament to the campaign.
Quarriers MSYP Becky Docherty introduced a powerful film that young people from the organisation had put together to highlight the many issues that young people who become homeless face. This issue, which is one close to the heart of many MSYPs, moved one to declare that it was “the best film I’ve seen all year” and it was no surprise that 95% of MSYPs voted to throw the SYP’s weight behind the campaign.
It wasn’t all work and no play however, as MSYPs had the chance to show off their singing, dancing and comedy skills at “SYP’s Got Talent” as part of our Saturday evening entertainment. Chimuka Nyamutale MSYP fought off fierce competition to win, with his impressive breakdancing skills wowing his fellow members. Chimmy wasn’t the only one on the dancefloor, as our “Hedfone Party” got MSYPs up off their chairs later in the evening.
The SYP’s wee trip to the north was memorable, passionate and productive – just what you’d expect from an SYP Sitting! The weekend gave MSYPs the chance to share their views and those of young people from the length and breadth of Scotland in an environment designed to let them do it.
Posted by Scottish Youth Parliament
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