UKYP, Cool or Corny?

[ukyp]

UKYP, Cool or Corny?

Written by Jesse Lake, DMYP North and West Wiltshire.

To those involved in the UK Youth Parliament, it is something cool and a good productive use of our time, and we can really make a difference. But this view is not shared by every young person across the UK. I know in my local area not many people have heard of the UK Youth Parliament, and who we are or what we do.

To those not involved, UKYP seems a pretty dull waste of free time, and rather a ‘geeky’ hobby and just a plain waste of perfectly good free time. After all, who would want to be involved in our nation’s politics if we didn’t have to right?

This view is shared by many young people not involved in their local youth parliament. They don’t see the point in the organisation, or do not even know about it. Also, many people across the UK do not see what changes we make as it isn’t all over the 6pm BBC news, unlike all the latest political unrest and changes.

I know I won’t be the only young person who has had some rather rude remarks made to them over their membership of UKYP. And trust me, I won’t be the last.

For MYPs and Deputy MYPs though, the UK Youth Parliament is something cool, and fun, and also let’s be honest, a good excuse for the occasional absence from schools and colleges.

MYPs and DMYPs really make changes happen for young people across the UK. We are the ones who make UKYP what it is, and the ones who really make young people’s lives different and easier. For us, this organisation, like many others we are part of, is something cool that we are proud to have membership of.

So, what do you think of UKYP? Cool or corny?

[Gotlieb Alexander]

It's not that people think it's geeky to be involved in politics, it's that UKYP isn't seen to actually do anything.

The people I know who wouldn't touch it with a barge pole are all very politically active

[adamlonsdale]

Originally Posted by Gotlieb Alexander

It's not that people think it's geeky to be involved in politics, it's that UKYP isn't seen to actually do anything.

The people I know who wouldn't touch it with a barge pole are all very politically active

What about the recent SRE news? You can't say UKYP hasn't done anything there. But you are forgetting that its all the small things on a local scale. And a regional scale.

[Marcus89]

Originally Posted by adamlonsdale

What about the recent SRE news? You can't say UKYP hasn't done anything there. But you are forgetting that its all the small things on a local scale. And a regional scale.

Yes you can. If Govts ignore their own committees, what chance do you think UKYP has? The only reason SRE has been sucessful was due to the fact Labour saw it to be benifcial to the party's image.

UKYP is little more than a formal version of youth centres or societies.

[Liam Hannan]

Originally Posted by Marcus89

Yes you can. If Govts ignore their own committees, what chance do you think UKYP has? The only reason SRE has been sucessful was due to the fact Labour saw it to be benifcial to the party's image.

UKYP is little more than a formal version of youth centres or societies.

By that logic all pressure groups are negligible.

Setting yourself up against every school of political though =/= a smart move.

UKYP is a pressure group, and a very effective one considering it's makeup
(although that effectiveness comes more from the contacts it has with government than because it's got a huge surplus of crusading members)

[Gotlieb Alexander]

Originally Posted by Liam Hannan

UKYP is a pressure group, and a very effective one considering it's makeup
(although that effectiveness comes more from the contacts it has with government than because it's got a huge surplus of crusading members)

Why does a pressure group take government money? Doesn't this make you pretty dependent on the government liking your views?

[Liam Hannan]

No.

The government don't just give us handfuls of money. The sponsor us to act as a consultative agency to gather data, and we feed it back to them, and follow the work up by lobbying on it.

There are also funds that we apply for to follow specific projects through, and, being concerned primarily with government - it would of course be government pots we're applying to.


When we're applying we get the money on ther merit of the project, not the views contained therein, and when we're being sponsored as a consultative agency we're not only feeding them back the data they can use in official publications but acting as a lever to ensure it's followed up and to raise the profile with elected politicians (remember, it's the civil servants who award the money) which is considered to be a pretty efficient all round service.

[SHARK]

Originally Posted by Marcus89

Yes you can. If Govts ignore their own committees, what chance do you think UKYP has? The only reason SRE has been sucessful was due to the fact Labour saw it to be benifcial to the party's image.

UKYP is little more than a formal version of youth centres or societies.

FIGHT FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[3necha]

I think one has to remember, that to members of UKYP and those interested in current affairs with an eagerness to be involved, then the idea of the organisational body of Youth Parliament is a 'cool' one - although whether that is an adequate way to describe it, is another matter. I don't particularly think that either tag applies well to UKYP. Personally I would lean towards it being 'cool', only in a more interesting way. I am a keen to be involved as I can see the importance and the need for such a body. Unfortunately, not every young person will share our enthusiasm, which is where it would most certainly gain its 'corny' label from.

[mkelleher]

I voted corny; it was a more accurate choice than voting cool, although the entire poll was flawed becuase we were faced with two extremely broad choices.
Politics is not designed to be cool. Although the UKYP may not be viewed as cool (particularly by the ignorant, who tend to view themselves as cool), it is necessary- it is necessary to let the leaders of our nation know what the youth of Britain want.
Did Churchill go into politics because he wanted to be cool? I do not think so.