YOUTH VOTES COUNT A report looking at elections to youth councils, mayors and parliaments in England across the academic year 2011-2012
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CONTENTS
Introduction 4 Election statistics summary
5
Timing and types of election
5
Election methods
6
Voting methods
6
Election systems
7
Access to young people
7
Partnerships 7 Voter awareness
8
Cost and staff time spent on elections
8
Appendix 1: Youth council/cabinet/forum election figures academic year 2010/11 9 Appendix 2: Youth council/cabinet/forum election figures academic year 2011/12 13 Appendix 3: Youth election timeline academic year 2011/2012 18 Appendix 4: Youth elections in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales 20 About the British Youth Council
23
3
INTRODUCTION
The British Youth Council supports a network of over 600 Local Youth Councils (LYCs) across the UK. Up to 19,800 young people, mostly aged between 11 and 17, volunteer their time to represent their peers through LYCs, influencing local decisionmaking and shaping local services. Towards the end of 2011 we took on the hosting of the 16-strong Young Mayor Network - a body that gives directly-elected young mayors the chance to support each other with a view to getting their voices heard on a national stage. Since April 2011, BYC has also been running the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP). UKYP aims to give the young people of the United Kingdom, between the ages of 11 and 18, a voice which will be heard and listened to by local and national government, providers of services for young people and other agencies which have an interest in the views and needs of young people. Many local authorities integrate these models by holding direct elections to the first tier model, from which representatives can then take part in indirect elections to the second tier roles. This is the first year the British Youth Council has attempted to collate the data for youth elections across all tiers of local government. The following report begins to paint the picture of youth democracy across England. It provides some background information on the election methods used by councils, the cost and time spent on holding elections and a timeline as to when elections take place. We have also summarised the current picture of youth democracy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (Appendix 4). This data will be used to inform discussions and decisions about when and how to improve elections and share best practice, as well as to underline a growing mandate from children and young people who say they want to get involved and take part in representative activity. We will also look at how the information can be used to support a potential connection between the voting habits and registration of young people and voting in adult elections. The length of term is set locally with a mix of one or two years in office which is why the number of results varies from year to year. A small number of election results have not been declared to us in places where we know elections took place. When all participating councils are taken into account we estimate a million votes are cast across the UK.
4
Election statistics summary Area
Academic Year 2010/2011 83 1,610 658 409,114 58.06% 16.81%
Number of direct elections Number of candidates Number elected Number of votes Highest local turnout Average local turnout
Academic Year 2011/2012 85 2,193 937 595,600 93.7% 23.26%
Timing and types of election Most direct elections for all three models are held on the same day in any one local authority. Election days are held throughout the academic year with a peak in February. Most are for two-year terms.
Sept 2011 Oct 2011 Nov 2011 Dec 2011 Jan 2012 Feb 2012 Mar 2012 Apr 2012 May 2012 Jun 2012 Jul 2012
Young Mayor 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0
Youth UK Youth Council Parliament 0 0 1 0 3 2 3 3 3 7 4 31 7 16 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 1
Overall 0 2 6 6 10 35 24 4 3 0 1
5
Election methods There was a great deal of diversity in the methods local councils used to carry out their elections. These included the use of ballot boxes, text, online and postal voting. Some councils employed a mixture of all the above to ensure they engaged with as many young people as possible in their locality, enabling them to participate and vote in elections. There was no single approach to the elections as different councils found different methods worked according to the area and the specific needs of the young people in that locality. Some councils reported that online voting worked best while others suggested the use of a secret ballot was better in their area.
Voting methods Ballot box Many local councils opted for the traditional use of a ballot box when carrying out their elections. This involved the use of official ballot papers, boxes and booths, with some authorities printing and sending ballot papers to schools. Online A number of councils offered young people the opportunity to vote for their candidate of choice online. In Birmingham, for instance, young people used a code to vote and leave comments for their chosen candidate. Different tools were utilised to log votes such as the mi-voice online multi-channel e-democracy website, SurveyMonkey, the use of a Google form on Google docs, or by having votes sent to a designated email address. Text Councils were able to offer the flexible service of mobile ballot voting, where young people were able to text ‘voting’ to a designated phone number. Post When young people were unable to vote on the day of their election they were offered the opportunity, on occasions, to apply to vote by post. If they did apply they were sent a postal vote form, which they could send back and have their vote counted. Looked-after young people were automatically sent a postal vote by Islington council.
6
Break Down of Election Methods used: Voting Method Ballot Box Text Online Post Mixture of ballot box, text, online voting
Percentage 70% 3% 10% 3% 14%
Election systems It is up to local councils to decide which form of voting system they use. We have not recorded this information to date, but anecdotally we know there is no one preferred method being used. Some are using a form of proportional representation, others use the first past the post system. We will be recording the voting system used in elections held from September 2012 onwards and will include it in next year’s report.
Access to young people Elections were held in a variety of venues to reach out to a range of young people. The majority of elections were held in formal spaces like schools, colleges, pupil referral units (PRUs) and Connexions centres. Other less formal spaces included youth clubs, community centres, voluntary organisations and libraries.
Partnerships Partnerships between local authorities and other organisations were crucial to the successful delivery of elections and to reaching as many young people as possible. Local authorities worked with partners that included schools, colleges, youth organisations, faith groups and democratic services. Schools and colleges, in which elections were held, were often given discretion as to how they ran their elections. On the other hand, some schools received training from existing youth council members on how to do things like run polling stations or instruct young people on how to vote. In some instances the elections were run and facilitated by members of staff from the local authority using the machinery used in adult elections, or by existing youth council members.
7
Voter awareness Some local authorities publicised the elections to young people, not only to inform them about the event but also to provide them with background information on the candidates. This was carried out through press and PR teams in the local authority, the distribution of DVDs in which candidates discussed their campaigns and the publicising of background information on candidates online.
Cost and staff time spent on elections Staff time The length of time spent on running elections can vary depending on when a council begins and ends it election cycle. The tasks involved include the promotion and publicity of the election, preparation for the day, the election itself, the counting of votes and the announcement of results. It is difficult to develop an approximate figure of how much time is spent on elections as many people are involved in the process along the way including candidates, volunteers and council staff. On average 290 hours staff time was spent per election. Financial cost (excluding staff time) The actual cost of running an election can include ballot papers, food and travel. The average cost of elections came to ÂŁ2,666.23 per election.
8
APPENDIX 1
Note: Turnout is based on population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Mid-2011 by the Office for National Statistics.
Youth council/cabinet/ forum election figures academic year 2010/11 Region
Local Council
South West
The election figures below were supplied by Local Councils. If your Local Council’s election information is not recorded here please contact elections@byc.org.uk.
No. of Candidates
No. of Posts
Number of Votes cast
Total Electorate
Wiltshire
37
22
28,252
48,662
58.06% Youth Council Direct election
West Midlands
Walsall
15
4
13,615
26,971
50.48% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Tower Hamlets
18
2
8,710
18,130
48.04% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Brent
200
72
10,000
20,999
47.62% Youth Council Direct election
Yorkshire and Barnsley Humberside
92
32
10,734
22,831
47.02% Youth Council Direct election
North West
Blackburn w/ Darwen
11
3
7,808
17,047
45.80% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North West
Sefton
36
6
11,604
27,749
41.82% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North West
Bury
17
3
8,016
19,189
41.77% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Sutton
8
2
8,149
19,544
41.70% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South East
Wokingham
9
2
6,836
16,524
41.37% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Richmond
10
3
6,567
15,939
41.20% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
Bath & NE Somerset
9
2
6,552
16,852
38.88% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Lewisham
18
2
8,076
22,067
36.60% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
Yorkshire and Wakefield Humberside
21
6
11,337
31,907
35.53% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
20
6
14,715
41,609
35.36% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
Dorset
Turn Out Type
Method
9
Region
Local Council
No. of Candidates
No. of Posts
Number of Votes cast
Total Electorate
South West
North Somerset
12
2
6,838
19,508
35.05% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
West Midlands
Warwickshire
23
8
17,500
51,860
33.74% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
West Midlands
Shropshire
13
4
8,915
30,595
29.14% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Redbridge
12
2
8,015
27,813
28.82% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Lambeth
9
2
5,170
18,832
27.45% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North West
Rochdale
6
2
5,949
21,919
27.14% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
Bristol, City of
50
28
8,454
33,054
25.58% Youth Council Direct election
London
Hammersmith & Fulham
4
2
2,885
11,307
25.52% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
East of England
Hertfordshire
41
12
27,000
111,373
24.24% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South East
Buckinghamshire
15
6
12,665
52,407
24.17% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
West Midlands
Wolverhampton
7
4
5,507
23,232
23.70% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North West
Blackpool
27
4
3,125
13,761
22.71% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
Somerset
21
7
11,925
55,485
21.49% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
West Midlands
Dudley
12
4
6,315
30,679
20.58% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Hackney
32
20
3,600
17,926
20.08% Youth Council Direct election
5
4
5,121
25,957
19.73% UK Youth Parliament
Direct Direct
Yorkshire and Rotherham Humberside
Turn Out Type
Method
London
Croydon
37
4
6,722
35,044
19.18% UK Youth Parliament
West Midlands
Wolverhampton
27
18
4,334
23,232
18.66% Youth Council Direct election
London
Barnet
22
4
5,761
32,310
17.83% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
5
2
2,869
16,290
17.61% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
10
2
2,919
17,444
16.73% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
6
2
2,232
13,603
16.41% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
Yorkshire and North East Humberside Lincolnshire West Midlands
Telford & Wrekin
London
Westminster
South East
Reading
15
12
1,954
12,272
15.92% Youth Council Direct election
South East
Portsmouth
13
3
2,716
17,083
15.90% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
Torbay
9
7
1,912
12,292
15.55% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
10
Region
Local Council
No. of Candidates
No. of Posts
Number of Votes cast
Total Electorate
London
Turn Out Type
Method
Kingston-UponThames
20
20
2,000
13,929
14.36% Youth Council Direct election
London
Ealing
11
2
3,620
25,572
14.16% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South East
Oxfordshire
17
6
8,869
63,396
13.99% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
West Midlands
Sandwell
35
20
4,000
29,412
13.60% Youth Council Direct election
South West
Cornwall
22
6
6,445
50,756
12.70% UK Youth Parliament
East of England
Bedford
100
44
2,000
16,488
12.13% Youth Council Direct election
South East
West Sussex
43
8
9,257
77,619
11.93% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Hillingdon
6
3
3,000
25,335
11.84% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North West
Halton
8
2
1,424
12,060
11.81% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
Devon
23
14
7,000
70,494
9.93% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North West
St Helens
18
14
1,554
18,270
8.51% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
Plymouth
13
4
1,783
22,943
7.77% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South East
Hampshire
42
8
9,567
129,263
7.40% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North West
Oldham
41
25
1,700
23,861
7.12% Youth Council Direct election
East of England
Essex
91
75
8,000
138,103
5.79% Youth Council Direct election
West Midlands
Birmingham
14
10
5,626
106,433
5.29% UK Youth Parliament
South East
Brighton & Hove
50
20
1,012
20,824
4.86% Youth Council Direct election
South West
Bournemouth
5
2
455
13,473
3.38% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
East of England
Peterborough
8
3
102
16,542
0.62% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
Poole
14
2
75
13,164
0.57% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
East of England
Southend
5
1
50
15,448
0.32% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Hackney
10
2
53
17,926
0.30% Uk Youth Parliament
indirect
London
Brent
16
4
60
20,999
0.29% Uk Youth Parliament
Indirect
North West
Oldham
6
4
60
23,861
0.25% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
South East
Medway
7
4
55
27,266
0.20% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
Direct
Direct
11
Region
Local Council
No. of Candidates
No. of Posts
Number of Votes cast
Total Electorate
London
Harrow
8
4
42
21,480
0.20% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South East
Brighton & Hove
8
2
37
20,824
0.18% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
London
Kingston-UponThames
4
2
20
13,929
0.14% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
East of England
Thurrock
2
2
22
16,019
0.14% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
East of England
Bedford
6
2
22
16,488
0.13% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
Yorkshire and York, City of Humberside
3
3
17
16,606
0.10% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
Yorkshire and Barnsley Humberside
7
4
22
22,831
0.10% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
London
Enfield
8
4
26
28,667
0.09% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
South East
Reading
3
2
11
12,272
0.09% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
South East
West Berkshire
5
2
9
10,610
0.08% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
Bristol, City of
18
5
26
33,054
0.08% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
North West
Trafford
9
6
16
21,082
0.08% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
4
4
20
28,741
0.07% Youth Council Direct election
26
10
65
138,103
0.05% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
5
4
12
29,412
0.04% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
32
12
20
59,979
0.03% Youth Council Direct election
9
6
14
48,662
0.03% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
3
3
3
59,979
0.01% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
Yorkshire and Doncaster Humberside East of England
Essex
West Midlands
Sandwell
Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Humberside South West
Wiltshire
Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Humberside
12
Turn Out Type
Method
APPENDIX 2
Note: Turnout is based on population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Mid-2011 by the Office for National Statistics.
Youth council/cabinet/ forum election figures academic year 2011/12
The election figures below were supplied by Local Councils. If your Local Council’s election information is not recorded here please contact elections@byc.org.uk.
Region
Local Council
No. of No. of Candidates Posts
Number of Total Turn Out Type Votes cast Electorate
South West
Dorset
13
6
39,000
41,609
93.73% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
Wiltshire
29
12
31,000
48,862
63.44% Local Youth Council
Direct
North West
Knowsley
4
3
8,952
15,866
56.42% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Harrow
65
50
12,305
21,840
56.34% Local Youth Council
Direct
South West
Isles of Scilly
3
2
94
169
55.62% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North West
Bolton
8
2
14,620
27,927
52.35% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
East Midlands
Mansfield
3
1
4,817
9,835
48.98% Young Mayor Network
Direct
London
Brent
72
50
10,000
20,999
47.62% Local Youth Council
Direct
West
Walsall
15
4
12,589
26,971
46.68% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Sutton
24
2
8,700
19,544
44.51% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Sutton
24
2
8,700
19,544
44.51% Local Youth Council
Direct
London
Newham
52
52
10,082
23,249
43.37% Local Youth Council
Direct
London
Newham
50
2
10,082
23,249
43.37% Young Mayor Network
Direct
South East
Worthing
16
16
3,801
9,002
42.22% Local Youth Council
Direct
East of England
Epping Forest
40
20
5,000
11,842
42.22% Local Youth Council
Direct
Midlands
Method
13
Region
Local Council
No. of No. of Candidates Posts
Number of Total Turn Out Type Votes cast Electorate
North East
Hartlepool
10
2
3,700
9,541
North East
North
33
2
6,888
Method
38.78% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
17,873
38.54% Young Mayor Network
Direct
Tyneside London
Lewisham
4
2
8,076
22,067
36.60% Young Mayor Network
Direct
London
Lewisham
4
2
8,076
22,067
36.60% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North West
Oldham
100
52
8,584
23,861
35.98% Local Youth Council
Direct
South East
Wokingham
8
2
5,894
16,524
35.67% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
Yorkshire and Humberside
Wakefield
15
6
11,343
31,907
35.55% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
East Midlands
Derbyshire
210
56
26,222
75,477
34.74% Local Youth Council
Direct
London
Redbridge
14
4
9,656
27,813
34.72% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Hammersmith & Fulham
6
2
3,877
11,307
34.29% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
Bath & NE Somerset
4
2
5,476
16,852
32.49% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Enfield
28
16
9,000
28,667
31.39% Local Youth Council
Direct
South East
Bracknell Forest
35
14
3,986
13,087
30.46% Local Youth Council
Direct
South East
Buckinghamshire
15
9
15,192
52,407
28.99% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
Yorkshire and Humberside
Rotherham
8
4
7,502
25,957
28.90% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Bromley
106
30
8,252
29,820
27.67% Local Youth Council
Direct
West Midlands
Wolverhampton
38
24
6,068
23,232
26.12% Local Youth Council
Direct
South East
West Sussex
47
8
20,088
77,619
25.88% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South East
West Sussex
93
48
20,088
77,619
25.88% Local Youth Council
Direct
North West
Cheshire West
13
6
8,161
31,993
25.51% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Barnet
21
4
8,041
32,310
24.89% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South East
Brighton & Hove
57
26
5,123
20,824
24.60% Local Youth Council
Direct
South East
Reading
6
2
3,019
12,272
24.60% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Islington
23
8
3,207
13,067
24.54% Local Youth Council
Direct
South East
Reading
19
12
3,005
12,272
24.49% Local Youth Council
Direct
14
Region
Local Council
No. of No. of Candidates Posts
Number of Total Turn Out Type Votes cast Electorate
Method
West Midlands
Shropshire
13
4
7,337
30,595
23.98% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
Yorkshire and Humberside
Calderdale
16
4
4,838
20,578
23.51% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
Swindon
10
3
4,385
18,790
23.34% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
West Midlands
Wolverhampton
6
4
5,418
23,232
23.32% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North West
Warrington
12
4
4,532
19,622
23.10% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North East
Sunderland
21
4
6,137
26,889
22.82% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North West
Trafford
7
6
4,722
21,082
22.40% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Lambeth
6
4
4,158
18,832
22.08% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Lambeth
10
1
4,158
18,832
22.08% Young Mayor Network
Direct
London
Lambeth
16
4
4,158
18,832
22.08% Local Youth Council
Direct
London
Southwark
19
19
4,364
19,788
22.05% Local Youth Council
Direct
London
Southwark
19
3
4,364
19,788
22.05% Local Youth Council
Direct
South East
Isle of Wight
8
2
2,870
13,285
21.60% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South East
Isle of Wight
29
20
2,870
13,285
21.60% Local Youth Council
Direct
Yorkshire and Humberside
Barnsley
16
4
4,838
22,831
21.19% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
Yorkshire and Humberside
Sheffield
18
6
10,024
48,854
20.52% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
East of England
Bedford Borough
97
37
3,373
16,448
20.51% Local Youth Council
Direct
South East
Portsmouth
8
3
3,084
17,083
18.05% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South East
East Sussex
14
25
8,933
50,513
17.68% Local Youth Council
Direct
East of England
Norfolk
32
9
12,308
77,148
15.95% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South East
Oxfordshire
13
6
10,013
63,396
15.79% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
South West
Torbay
10
8
1,898
12,292
15.44% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
West Midlands
Solihull
4
4
3,343
22,101
15.13% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Greenwich
12
4
3,000
19,886
15.09% Local Youth Council
Direct
London
Ealing
11
5
3,832
25,572
14.99% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
15
Region
Local Council
South West
Plymouth
16
4
3,200
22,943
13.95% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
West Midlands
Sandwell
20
16
4,000
29,412
13.60% Local Youth Council
Direct
London
Hillingdon
15
4
3,369
25,335
13.30% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
West Midlands
Sandwell
16
4
3,511
29,412
11.94% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
West Midlands
Birmingham
14
10
11,321
106,433
10.64% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
West Midlands
Birmingham
29
18
11,321
106,433
10.64% Local Youth Council
Direct
North East
Northumberland
5
5
2,972
28,999
10.25% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Barking & Dagenham
100
50
1,930
19,145
10.08% Local Youth Council
Direct
London
Havering
12
6
2,000
24,040
8.32% Local Youth Council
Direct
East of England
Hertfordshire
35
12
8,276
111,373
7.43% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Ealing
18
1
1,865
25,572
7.29% Young Mayor Network
Direct
Yorkshire and Humberside
Leeds
14
6
4,795
69,314
6.92% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Hounslow
6
4
1,209
18,977
6.37% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Camden
5
3
908
15,513
5.85% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
North West
Wigan
3
2
1,712
30,232
5.66% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Bexley
70
4
1,200
23,577
5.09% Local Youth Council
Direct
North West
St Helens
5
5
638
18,270
3.49% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
East Midlands
Lincolnshire
18
3
2,011
67,858
2.96% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
East Midlands
Lincolnshire
18
18
2,011
67,858
2.96% Local Youth Council
Direct
South West
Poole
12
2
128
13,164
0.97% UK Youth Parliament
Direct
London
Harrow
9
4
70
21,840
0.32% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
South East
Brighton & Hove
10
6
52
20,824
0.25% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
London
Brent
10
4
50
20,999
0.24% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
London
Barking & Dagenham
14
4
45
19,145
0.24% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
London
Bromley
14
4
62
29,820
0.21% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
16
No. of No. of Candidates Posts
Number of Total Turn Out Type Votes cast Electorate
Method
Region
Local Council
West Midlands
Staffordshire
East of England
Bedford Borough
North West
No. of No. of Candidates Posts
Number of Total Turn Out Type Votes cast Electorate
Method
8
5
162
80,640
0.20% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
11
2
30
16,448
0.18% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
Oldham
6
4
42
23,861
0.18% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
South East
Bracknell Forest
5
3
17
13,087
0.13% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
London
Enfield
7
4
27
28,667
0.09% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
East Midlands
Derbyshire
18
8
48
75,477
0.06% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
Yorkshire and Humberside
North Yorkshire
4
4
33
59,979
0.06% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
South East
East Sussex
16
6
19
50,513
0.04% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
London
Havering
5
2
8
24,040
0.03% UK Youth Parliament
Indirect
17
APPENDIX 3
Youth election timeline academic year 2011/2012 September 2011
•
Reading (UKYP)
•
•
Rotherham (UKYP)
October 2011
•
Swindon (UKYP)
•
Havering (Youth Council)
•
Wokingham (UKYP)
•
Mansfield (Young Mayor)
February 2012
No election declared
November 2011
•
Barking & Dagenham (UKYP)
•
Sutton (Youth Council/UKYP)
•
Bath & NE Somerset (UKYP)
•
Bracknell (Youth Council)
•
Birmingham (Youth Council/UKYP)
•
Brighton & Hove (Youth Council)
•
Bracknell Forest (UKYP)
•
North Tyneside (Young Mayor/UKYP)
•
Brent (UKYP)
•
Calderdale (UKYP)
•
Cheshire West (UKYP)
•
City of York (UKYP)
•
Cornwall (UKYP)
•
Derbyshire (Youth Council)
•
Dorset (UKYP)
January 2012
•
Ealing (UKYP)
•
Barking & Dagenham (Youth Council)
•
Greenwich (Youth Council)
•
Brent (Youth Council)
•
Hammersmith and Fulham (UKYP)
•
Havering (Youth Council)
•
Harrow (Youth Council)
•
Brighton & Hove (UKYP)
•
Havering (UKYP)
•
Plymouth (UKYP)
•
Hertfordshire (UKYP)
•
Poole (UKYP)
•
Hillingdon (UKYP)
December 2011 •
East Sussex (Youth Council/UKYP)
•
Northumberland (Youth Council/UKYP)
•
Reading (Youth Council)
•
Isle of White (UKYP)
18
•
Hounslow (UKYP)
•
Warrington (UKYP)
•
Isles of Scilly (UKYP)
•
West Sussex (Youth Council/UKYP)
•
Islington (Youth Council)
•
Wiltshire (Youth Council)
•
Middlesbrough (UKYP)
•
Worthing (Youth Council)
•
Oldham (UKYP)
April 2012
•
Oxfordshire (UKYP)
•
Oldham (Youth Council)
•
Portsmouth (UKYP)
•
Epping Forest (Youth Council)
•
Sandwell (UKYP)
•
Bedford Borough (UKYP)
•
Shropshire (UKYP)
•
Bolton (UKYP)
•
Solihull (UKYP)
•
Torbay (UKYP)
•
Trafford (UKYP)
•
Wakefield (UKYP)
March 2012
May 2012 •
Ealing (Youth Council)
•
Bedford Borough (Youth Council)
•
Ealing (Young Mayor)
June 2012
•
Buckinghamshire (UKYP)
•
Darlington (UKYP)
•
Knowsley (UKYP)
July 2012
•
Lambeth (Youth Council/Young Mayor)
•
•
Leeds (UKYP)
•
Lincolnshire (Youth Council/UKYP)
•
Newham (Youth Council)
•
Norfolk (UKYP)
•
North Yorkshire (UKYP)
•
Redbridge (UKYP)
•
Sandwell (Youth Council)
•
Sheffield (UKYP)
•
St Helens (UKYP)
•
Staffordshire (Youth Council/UKYP)
•
Sunderland (UKYP)
•
Walsall (UKYP)
•
None yet declared
Bedford Borough (UKYP)
19
APPENDIX 4
Scotland Scottish Youth Parliament The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) represents Scotland’s young people aged 14-25. Since it was established by young people in 1999 the SYP has been at the forefront of youth engagement in civic democracy, working directly with over 1,000 members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) and engaging with many thousands more through its work. An independent charity, the SYP receives core funding from the Scottish government.
Youth elections in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales
In the most recent elections, held in March 2011, Scotland’s young people cast 84,940 votes to elect 135 constituency MSYPs to serve a two-year term; that is equivalent to a turnout of about 1 in 10 eligible young people. The organisation also has MSYPs elected to represent national voluntary organisations. To find out more visit: www.syp.org.uk UK Youth Parliament in Scotland Since the UK Youth Parliament’s inception, it has worked with the Scottish Youth Parliament to secure representation from Scottish young people. BYC reserves 45 seats for Scottish representatives (aged up to 18) to attend the UKYP annual sitting in the House of Commons. Local Youth Councils Almost all local authorities in Scotland operate some form of youth council, though names and structures vary. In a small number of areas young people directly elect representatives, though most often, certainly at the local community level, young people are able to self-nominate. To find your local youth council in Scotland please go to: byc.org.uk/uk-work/local-youth-council-network/find-your-local-youth-council
20
Wales Funky Dragon – the children and young people’s assembly for Wales Funky Dragon is the children and young people’s assembly for Wales and is governed by the Grand Council, made up of 100 young people from across Wales aged 25 and under. Each of the 22 local authorities in Wales may send representatives from the following groups: •
One young person should represent the statutory sector e.g. youth clubs, schools, social services etc
•
One young person should represent the voluntary sector e.g. local charities, uniformed groups, young farmers etc
•
One young person should represent the local school councils
•
One young person (the equality rep) should represent young people from specific interest groups.
The elections are run locally and are undertaken by county youth forums/ youth councils. Currently there are elected representatives from 20 out of 22 local authorities. Data on the total number of votes for these elections is currently not collected centrally. The final 12 seats are filled by co-option and are intended for any groups which are underrepresented elsewhere in the Grand Council. To find out more about Funky Dragon go to: www.funkydragon.org UK Youth Parliament in Wales BYC reserves 26 seats in the UK Youth Parliament for Welsh representatives (aged 18 and under) to attend the annual House of Commons debate of the UK Youth Parliament. BYC is working in partnership with Funky Dragon to explore the feasibility of direct elections of these representatives to focus on UK wide issues as well as overall funding for this programme to run fully in Wales. Local youth forums Each local authority under the Local Participation Strategies 0-25 guidance (Welsh Assembly government circular No: 025/2007) issued in August 2007 should have a local youth forum. The recruitment methods range from elections and self selections to applications. Many community councils also have a youth forum. To find your local youth council in Wales please go to: byc.org.uk/uk-work/local-youth-council-network/find-your-local-youth-council
21
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Youth Forum The Northern Ireland Youth Forum (NIYF) is youth led: it is run by young people, for young people and is managed by an executive committee of 16 young people. This committee sets the strategic direction based on the views of its members. It sets the priorities for the youth forum and employs a staff team to carry out this work. Any young person who has been involved in working with the youth forum at any stage during the last two years can stand for a seat on the executive committee. Last year 500 votes were cast in the Northern Ireland Youth Forum elections. UK Youth Parliament in Northern Ireland NIYF delivers this programme on behalf of the BYC in Northern Ireland. There are currently 16 members of the Youth Parliament elected by the NIYF to represent young people in Northern Ireland. The first year in which Northern Ireland held UKYP elections was 2012, previous to this young people were co-opted on. NIYF has commissioned a piece of research to look at how it can increase awareness of UKYP in Northern Ireland and the youth turnout in these elections. Local youth forums Only one council in Northern Ireland has a shadow youth council – Belfast City Council Youth Forum, although there are many local youth forums and councils run by community organisations and well as education and library boards. To find your local youth council in Northern Ireland please go to: byc.org.uk/uk-work/local-youth-council-network/find-your-local-youth-council
22
ABOUT THE BRITISH YOUTH COUNCIL The British Youth Council is the National Youth Council of the UK. A youthled charity, we empower young people aged 25 and under to influence and inform the decisions that affect their lives. We support young people to get involved in their communities and democracy locally, nationally and internationally, making a difference as volunteers, campaigners, decisionmakers and leaders.
Serving our membership BYC is made up of more than 230 member organisations who support our common vision for young people. Members elect our Board, determine our policies and prioritise our campaigns. They also act as the link between BYC and millions of individuals within the membership of our members. www.byc.org.uk/members
Youth-led networks BYC runs a number of youth-led networks and programmes - including the UK Youth Parliament, Young Mayor Network, Local Youth Council Network, National Scrutiny Group and Youth Select Committee - which encourage young people to get involved in democracy and campaign to bring about change. www.byc.org.uk/uk-work
Campaigning and consulting BYC seeks to represent the views of young people and our members to stakeholders and decision makers at a local, national and international level. This work is based on the rolling BYC Manifesto which outlines our beliefs and aspirations. www.byc.org.uk/campaigns
Training and recognition Our training programmes empower young people with the skills, knowledge and confidence to bring about change. We also recognise young people who have made a significant contribution to their community through our highprofile award schemes. www.byc.org.uk/training-services
International work Through our international youth participation young people learn about global issues and connect and share with other young people around the world. They are able to take part in discussions and influence decisions made at an international level. www.byc.org.uk/international
empowering
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