The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) () is a youth-led, democratic organisation which aims to represent the young people of Scotland.
The SYP is made up of around 166 democratically elected representatives aged 14–25 from across Scotland. Representatives are known as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs). The SYP uses the Scottish Parliamentary constituency structure to elect its members, with elections generally taking place every two years - every constituency area elects two MSYPs using the Single Transferable Vote electoral system. Over 71,000 votes were cast in the 2019 SYP elections.
Around 22 MSYPs represent Voluntary Organisations such as The Boys Brigade, Scouts Scotland, LGBT Youth Scotland and Haggeye instead of constituencies. These MSYPs are directly elected by the Organisations they represent.
The SYP meets three times a year at events called sittings. These usually take place in different Scottish Local Authorities, but were held online between 2020 and 2022 due to COVID-19. SYP returned to in-person sittings in July 2022 with SYP77 being held in Cumbernauld
The four core values of the SYP are rights, democracy, inclusion and political impartiality. SYP is non-party political, which means MSYPs do not organise themselves along party lines within the Youth Parliament. All MSYPs essentially sit as independents to avoid partisan politics interfering with their representation of young people, however allegations of a "cliquey culture" and bias towards certain parties has been levied against the majority of the membership, especially the youth leadership.
Campaigns The SYP campaigns on various issues which affect Scotland's young people.
It has been an advocate for Votes at 16 since its inception in 1999 and has campaigned for it ever since, notably ensuring that Young People aged 16 and 17 could vote in the Referendum on Scottish Independence in 2014.
SYP has campaigned on a range of issues: from its campaign to achieve Equal Marriage – Love Equally - to their Young Carers Campaign – Care. Fair. Share.
SYP's 2017-18 campaign - Right Here Right Now - centred on improving the protection of young people's rights in Scotland, and was successful in securing a commitment from the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) would be incorporated into Scots Law.
The Scottish Youth Parliament's 2018–2019 campaign was "All Aboard", which sought to improve young people's experiences of public transport in Scotland.
At the July 2019 Sitting of the Scottish Youth Parliament, MSYPs choose environmental protection and climate change as their next national campaign. The campaign was named "Pack it Up, Pack it In", and was formally launched in October 2019.
In October 2020, it was decided by the organisation that the next national campaign will focus on a rights-based approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic recovery in Scotland. This campaign was titled 'Bounce Back'.
In March 2022 MSYPs voted on 4 campaign priorities for the 2021-2023 membership. The four campaign priorities were; Right to Food, Climate Crisis, Educational Attainment and Drug Misuse as a Public Health Issue.
The 2021-2023 campaign priorities were followed in March 2024 with the selection of three new national campaigns for the 2023-2025 membership. The campaigns selected were "Increase mental health training and education", "Invest in and protect youth work services" and "End gender-based violence" and where selected following consultation by MSYPs with over 4000 young people from across Scotland.
Governance The Board are responsible for the strategic direction of the organisation and are officially the charity's legal custodians.
The charity is supported by a Staff Team of 12.
The current chief executive officer and company general secretary is Jamie Dunlop.
As the organisation is youth-led the chair, vice-chair and trustees are all young people. They are democratically elected during SYP's Annual General Meeting by the membership of that term. The Current Chair is Ellie Craig MSYP, and the current vice-chair is Marcus Flucker MSYP. The Board of Trustees consists of the chair, vice-chair, and; Ella Quinn MSYP, Hamish Nott MSYP, Jack Anderson MSYP, Daniela Onyewuenyi MSYP and Rajsee Saraf MSYP. Sophie Kerrigan MSYP, Convener of the Education and Lifelong Learning Committee, serves as Convener's Trustee.
+Current SYP BoardNameConstituencyBoard RoleEllie Craig MSYPGlasgow CathcartChairMarcus Flucker MSYPAngus SouthVice-chairElla Quinn MSYPAngus SouthTrusteeJack Anderson MSYPDundee City EastTrusteeHamish Nott MSYPInverness and NairnTrusteeDaniela Onyewuenyi MSYPPaisleyTrusteeRajsee Saraf MSYPGlasgow PollokTrusteeSophie Kerrigan MSYPStirlingConvener's Trustee
History
The group has previously held meetings in the General Assembly Rooms (former temporary home of the Scottish Parliament) in Edinburgh) and also within the new Scottish Parliament building, most recently in 2024.
Partner organisations The Scottish Youth Parliament works in partnership with many other organisations, including:
The Scottish Government The Scottish Parliament and its members Scottish local authorities UK Youth Parliament Welsh Youth Parliament Children and Young People's Commissioner for Scotland YouthLink Scotland Young Scot Together: The Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights Highland Youth Voice
Chairs
The Chair of SYP is elected, usually annually, by MSYPs.
A normal term of service is twelve months, although some Chairs have served for longer periods of time for reasons such as a delay in the SYP elections, and some for shorter periods of time for reasons such as resignation.
The Chair of SYP is a voluntary position and is unpaid.
The chair convenes and facilitates meetings of the Board and the full Scottish Youth Parliament. They are also the primary ambassador of SYP to the public.
There have, to date, been 21 Chairs of SYP since 2000. Number Years of Office Name Constituency/Voluntary OrganisationNotes1 2000 - 2001 Steven Jack STUC Youth CommitteeFirst officially noted Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, First of three Chairs representing a voluntary organisation2 2001 - 2002 Katrina Greig Hamilton North and Bellshill3 2002 - 2004 Steven Kidd Motherwell and WishawServed two terms as Chair - first chair to do so4 2004 - 2005 Paul Kane Glasgow Springburn5 2005 - 2007 Rajiv Joshi Glasgow GovanServed two terms as Chair6 2007 - 2008 John Loughton Edinburgh North and LeithFounder and CEO of youth charity Dare2Lead, Named 'Outstanding Youth of the World' 2013,
Winner of Big Brother Celebrity Hijack 20087 2008 Kieran Collins Edinburgh South8 2009 Sam Kerr LGBT Youth ScotlandSecond Chair to represent a voluntary organisation9 2009 - 2011 Derek Couper LivingstonServed two terms as Chair10 2011 - 2013 Grant Costello East KilbrideServed two terms as chair, SNP Westminster Digital Media Manager,
Stood to be the SNP's candidate in East Kilbride in the 2021 Scottish Parliament Elections11 2013 - 2014 Kyle Thornton Glasgow SouthsideFormer Conservative Councillor for Newlands/Auldburn ward on Glasgow City Council12 2014 - 2015 Louise Cameron MorayFirst Chair to represent a constituency outwith the central belt13 2015 - 2016 Jordan Linden Uddingston and BellshillFormer depute Leader of the SNP group on North Lanarkshire Council
In 2022 stepped down from Council role over a series of sexual complaints, including from his time at SYP.14 2016 Katie Burke North East Fife152016 - 2017 Terri Smith Edinburgh Northern and Leith162017 - 2018 Amy Lee Fravioli RutherglenStood in the 2019 European Elections as a Labour candidate in Scotland172018 - 2019Suki Wan Glasgow Shettleston182019 - 2020Jack Dudgeon EastwoodTerm as chair extended due to COVID-19 pandemic192020 - 2022Josh Kennedy Renfrewshire North and WestTerm as chair extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic 202022 - 2023Sophie ReidGirlguiding ScotlandThird Chair to represent a voluntary organisation212023 - 2024Mollie McGoranInverness and NairnFirst Chair from the Scottish Highlands22Incumbent ChairEllie CraigGlasgow CathcartFirst Chair to lead an entirely female board chair during 25th Anniversary Year
Served two terms as Chair
Chief Executive Officers
Years of Office Name Time Served 2002 - 2003 Alan Gemmell 11 Months 2003 - 2004 Stephen Bermingham 9 Months 2004 - 2006 Derek Millar 1 Year, 11 Months 2006 - 2008 Kelly Chambers 1 Year, 5 Months 2008 - 2010 Ann Brown 2 Years, 5 Months 2010 - 2015 Hamira Khan 4 Years, 7 Months 2015 - 2023 Ben McKendrick 7 years, 10 months 2023–Present Jamie Dunlop Current CEO
Alumni Ross Greer, Green MSP for the West of Scotland and the youngest MSP ever elected to the Scottish Parliament (2016–present), is a former MSYP.
Danielle Rowley, former Labour MP for Midlothian (2017–19), is a former MSYP.
See also Aberdeen City Youth Council Community youth development Youth politics Youth rights Welsh Youth Parliament
References
External links