EVERY fortnight in The National, readers will get an insight into the workings of the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP), and learn all about what the elected members are up to and the issues that matter to our young people with a new column from a panel of eight representatives – beginning this Wednesday.

The entirely youth-led SYP is made up of members from all over Scotland who are elected by their peers. These members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) campaign both locally and nationally and as a rights-based organisation.

The parliament's principles are grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, with its purpose particularly embodied in Article 12, which states that children and young people have the right to be listened to and their opinions given weight on all issues that affect them.

18-year-old Amy Lee Fraioli, SYP vice-chair and Rutherglen MSYP for nearly four years, says the SYP exists to ensure young peoples’ voices are heard.

“We challenge the tokenistic, tick-box way in which young people can often be consulted," she said. "Young people need to be carefully listened to, and we need to participate in the decision-making that affects our lives. As MSYPs, we consult with the young people we represent to find out what issues matter to them locally and nationally.”

In 2016, the SYP released a five-year manifesto, entitled Lead the Way, comprising 72,744 responses from young people, highlighting their views on a range of issues. Its current national campaign is on young peoples’ mental health, and previous successes include securing votes at 16 for all elections in Scotland, changes to the financial support for young carers and the increase in the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland.

MSYPs range in age from 14 to 25 and represent constituencies in all 32 local authorities throughout the country, as well as several national voluntary organisations.

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MEET THE PANELLISTS

HERE are our eight Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) panellists and the issues they plan to discuss in their forthcoming columns in The National.

The National:

Aqeel Ahmed, 18, MSYP for Glasgow Pollok: The need for high-quality provision in schools for young people with additional support needs. He said: “All young people deserve a fair chance, and if we get that right, we will see attainment being raised for all.”

The National:

Heather Cameron, 16, MSYP for East Lothian: Young people’s mental health. She said: “Stigma and lack of mental health support for young people is one of the most important issues affecting my generation.”

The National:

Reece Harding, 16, MSYP for Clydesdale: Improvements to personal and social education, and the need to involve young people in the design of curriculum. He said: “By building self-esteem, resilience and empathy, an effective personal and social education programme can tackle barriers to learning, raise aspirations and improve the life chances of disadvantaged young people.”

The National:

Rachel Hunter, 17, MSYP for Dunfermline: Involvement with a twinning organisation, and how learning about youth democracy in Norway has affected her campaigning here. She said: “Being able to learn from other cultures, and share my own, has been a valuable experience.”

The National:

Thomas-Alexander McEachan, 19, MSYP for Glasgow Pollok: The effects of growing up in poverty, and the structural changes needed to address the problem. He said: “My experience of poverty is the reason I became politically active and why I became an MSYP. I want to ensure that in the future no child has to suffer what I and thousands of young people have gone through.”

The National:

Kaylee Mouat, 20, MSYP for the Shetland Islands: The work she has done as an MSYP to improve transport for young people living on Scotland’s islands. She said: “I’m proud of being from the islands, but there are disadvantages that our friends in the central belt don’t know anything about.”

The National:

Fiona Ross, 23, MSYP for Glasgow Kelvin: Young people and Brexit. She said: “Brexit is waiting to be constructed, made up, woven from words like a story or piece of legislative embroidery. It is important than that young people are actively involved in shaping this political process.”

The National:

Euan Waddell, 18, MSYP for Eastwood: The need for young people to participate in the decision-making on the issues that affect them. He said: “Young people aren’t the future, we are the here and now, and we have a voice. We don’t want to inherit tomorrow’s problems; we want to be part of creating the solution now.”