Home > MYPs > How to become an MYP

How do I become an MYP? 

- To become an MYP you have to be elected by other young people in an official UKYP election. 

- Any young person who is a resident of the UK, and aged between 11 and 18 years old (inclusive) has the right to stand for election as an MYP and the right to vote for their MYP.

- Each Local Education Authority (LEA) in England represents a Youth Parliament Constituency.  The number of MYPs allocated to each constituency varies depending upon the number of young people who live in that area. To find out how many MYPs there should be in your area, please have a look at the list at the bottom of the page.

- In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the UKYP works with its partner organisations – the Scottish Youth Parliament, Funky Dragon – Wales, and the Northern Ireland Youth Forum to ensure that young people from these three nations are represented on the UKYP.  If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland – and you want to become an MYP, you can make contact with your respective organisation via the Useful Links page.

- Elections generally take place between December and February each year. To find out when your LEA is holding its UKYP election, please click here. 

(If you cannot find the information on this page about your local UKYP election you should contact the Education Department of your local council, eg – Hampshire County Council, Birmingham City Council, Merton Borough Council, etc, and ask to speak to the Principal Youth Officer, or the Youth Participation Worker – either of these posts should be able to provide you with the information you require.)

- Over the past two years over one million young people have voted in UKYP elections. 

What happens if I get elected?

- Once you are elected you will be expected to find out the concerns and needs of other young people in your constituency, and represent these views to decision makers on a local, regional and national level. 

- During you term of office you will have the opportunity to get involved in a variety of events projects and campaigns. 

- Your MP will be keen to hear from you, and many MYPs develop a productive working relationship with their MP, often having regular meetings at the House of Commons and in the constituency.

- In addition to working locally and regionally, the UKYP also undertakes to facilitate meetings between MYPs, Government Ministers and Government Departments on the issues that are raised in the UKYP Manifesto.

- As an MYP you will also get an opportunity to attend between six and ten regional meetings during you term of office. Once a year the UKYP holds an Annual Sitting, which brings together all of the MYPs from across the whole of the UK, for a four day residential to receive training, plan campaigns, update the UKYP Manifesto and socialise!

How much time do I need to commit?

- An MYP’s term of office lasts for one year. On average you will need to commit between one and five hours per week on UKYP activities. 
 

What skills will I develop whilst being an MYP?

Each MYP’s experience is likely to be different from the next. But in general MYPs will develop a combination of the following skills:

- Communication skills
- Public speaking skills
- Greater knowledge of politics and current affairs
- The ability to look at an issue from someone else's perspective
- Debating skills
- Teamwork skills
- Leadership skills
- Organisational skills
- Negotiation skills

Read what ex-MYPs have said about their experience of UKYP

What should I do next?

If you want more information about standing as a candidate in your local area, you should make contact with your local youth service (click here for details) or send an email to elections@ukyouthparliament.org.uk  clearly stating which area you live in.

Can I still be involved with UKYP if I’m not an MYP?

Yes absolutely. There are a range of things you can do, e.g. support our campaigns, debate in our online forums, take part in consultations. For full details, please click here.

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The Number Of MYPs Allocated For Election To Each Local Education Authority (LEA)


EASTERN  
Bedfordshire - 2
Cambridgeshire - 3
Essex - 6
Hertfordshire - 6
Luton - 1
Norfolk - 4
Peterborough - 1
Southend - 1
Suffolk - 4
Thurrock - 1


EAST MIDLANDS  
Derby City 2
Derbyshire 4
Leicester City 2
Leicestershire 3
Lincolnshire 3
Northamptonshire 3
Nottingham City 2
Nottinghamshire 4
Rutland 1


LONDON  
Croydon - 2
Barking & Dagenham - 1
Barnet - 2
Bexley - 1
Brent - 1
Bromley - 2
Camden - 1
Ealing - 2
Enfield - 2
Greenwich - 2
Hackney - 1
Hammersmith/ Fulham - 1
Haringey - 1
Harrow - 1
Havering - 2
Hillingdon - 2
Hounslow - 2
Islington - 1
Lambeth - 1
Lewisham - 1
Merton - 1
Newham - 2
Redbridge - 2
Richmond Upon Thames - 1
Southwark - 1
Sutton - 1
Tower Hamlets - 1
Waltham Forest - 1
Wandsworth - 1
City of Wesminster - 1
Kensington/Chelsea - 1
Kingston Upon Thames - 1
City of London - 1


NORTH EAST  
Darlington - 1
Durham - 3
Gateshead - 1
Hartlepool - 1
Middlesborough - 1
Newcastle Upon Tyne - 2
North Tyneside - 1
Northumberland - 2
Redcar & Cleveland - 1
South Tyneside - 1
Stockton on Tees - 2
Sunderland - 2


NORTH WEST  
Blackburn w/Darwen - 1
Blackpool - 1
Bolton - 2
Bury - 1
Cheshire - 3
Cumbria - 3
Halton - 1
Knowsley MBC - 1
Lancashire - 6
Liverpool - 3
Manchester - 2
Oldham - 2
Rochdale - 1
Salford - 1
Sefton - 2
St Helens - 1
Stockport - 2
Tameside - 2
Trafford - 2
Warrington - 2
Wigan - 2
Wirral - 2


SOUTH EAST  
Bracknell Forest - 1
Brighton & Hove - 1
Buckinghamshire - 3
East Sussex - 3
Hampshire - 6
Isle Of Wight - 1
Kent - 7
Medway - 2
Milton Keynes - 1
Oxfordshire - 3
Portsmouth - 1
Reading - 1
Slough - 1
Southampton - 1
Surrey - 5
West Berkshire (Newbury) - 1
West Sussex - 4
Windsor & Maidenhead - 1
Wokingham - 1


SOUTH WEST  
Bath & NE Somerset - 1
Bournemouth - 1
Bristol, City Of - 2
Cornwall - 3
Devon - 3
Dorset - 2
Gloucestershire - 3
Isles of Scilly - 1
North Somerset - 1
City of Plymouth - 2
Poole - 1
Somerset - 3
South Gloucester - 2
Swindon - 1
Torbay - 1
Wiltshire - 2


WEST MIDLANDS  
Birmingham - 5
Coventry - 2
Dudley - 2
Herefordshire - 1
Sandwell - 2
Shropshire - 2
Solihull - 2
Staffordshire - 4
Stoke on Trent - 2
Telford & Wrekin - 1
Walsall - 2
Warwickshire - 3
Wolverhampton - 2
Worcestershire - 3


YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE  
Barnsley - 2
Bradford - 3
Calderdale - 1
Wakefield - 2
Kingston Upon Hull - 2
Kirklees - 2
Leeds - 4
NE Lincolnshire - 1
North Lincolnshire - 1
Rotherham - 2
Sheffield - 3
Doncaster - 2
City of York - 1
E. Riding of Yorkshire - 2
North Yorkshire - 3

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