Why SYP is backing @Glasgow2018

May 23rd, 2013

YOG-24-Glasgow-Life-Ad-700x250 (2)

Kyle Thornton, MSYP for Glasgow Southside and SYP Vice-Chair

With less than 50 days to go until the Olympic Committee makes it’s final decision, it’s time for everyone in Scotland to get behind Glasgow’s bid for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

The next few years are going to see Scotland showcased to the sporting world.  Next year’s Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup will give Scots the chance to see some of the worlds finest sports stars.  At the same time we’ll be able to welcome thousands of visitors to Scotland, showcasing our culture, landscape, and of course our hospitality.  It should be amazing.

Some people might say that’s enough exposure – but that’s like saying having ice-cream once is enough.  Instead of sitting back we should see this as an opportunity.  It’s a chance to bolster our sporting culture, to build upon our infrastructure, and to brazenly promote Scotland again.

That’s why SYP is supporting Glasgow’s bid for the Youth Olympic Games in 2018. These games would be a great opportunity to show of Glasgow, but just as importantly to put young people at the very heart of a major event.

For those of you who maybe aren’t sports fanatics a wee bit of background.  The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international sporting event for the best young athletes in the world that aims to inspire young people to participate in sport and adopt and live by the Olympic values. Young athletes (15-18 years of age) compete in all 28 Olympic sports over 12 days of world-class competition.

The case for Glasgow is incredibly strong.  All the venues and infrastructure are already in place, and of course we have the fantastic Olympic legacy from London 2012 to build on as well.  Perhaps as importantly from SYP’s perspective is how youth-led the process has been.  Glasgow’s bid was the first to be presented only by young people, and Jasmine Main and Mahad Ahmed, the Bid’s 2018 Young Champions, personally delivered the bid document to IOC headquarters.

Of course, this isn’t just backed by young people.  Olympic superstats Sir Chris Hoy, Katherine Grainger, Jade Jones and Michael Jamieson are all Bid Champions and working to raise awareness for the campaign.

So we have a great chance to support Scotland, support young people, and show off Scotland’s greatest sporting city.  That’s why we’re encouraging young people to ‘Back our Bid’ by visiting www.glasgow2018.com and clicking on the button.  For more information you can also follow them on Twitter@Glasgow2018 and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Glasgow2018

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Kyle Thornton: It’s time for young people to stand up and get involved in Scotland’s planning system #placemakers

May 16th, 2013

©DN AndersonThe Planning System is one of those rare things that has the power to both unite communities and create discord. However, while the process may frustrate many of us, young people are consistently missing from the picture. You may say, “so what?” but decisions made by planners can have a massive impact on young people. Speaking up on behalf of projects that help create jobs for young people, speaking up to raise concerns about where a building is located, about how it will look, about whether something should be built at all – these are all things that young people are passionate about but far too many just don’t know how to get involved.

Speaking up for what you and other young people believe in is so important. As an elected Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, I represent 12-25 year-olds in my constituency in Glasgow Southside and my role is to represent them to decision makers. I know the power of being in the room, talking about what really matters and how simply by letting those in charge know what young people think, it can make a real difference to their decisions. You can’t beat the feeling of seeing a real change that you worked hard to see put in place

So, if you want to speak up for young people and learning more about how to get involved in planning, Planning Aid in Scotland are launching their young placemakers programme. This will see 12 young people from across Scotland, 16-20, trained up to speak out for their local communities on how their village, town or city should look like. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet other young people and make a real difference to where you live in.

There are also the benefits for you of being a young placemaker. Not only do you meet other likeminded people and get to go out into your local area talking with young people but you get a unique experience. With only 12 placemakers, you’ll have a unique set of skills from being part of the three year program that many others will find hard to rival.

I would also urge every applicant to join their local Community Council. They are the forum for your local community and they must be consulted on planning and licensing applications, the only community organisations in Scotland with this right. As a Young Community Councillor and Chair of my community council, I know you’ll be a fantastic asset to your local community by joining your community council.  Every member of the public has a right to attend their meetings and if you’re 16+, you can join as a community councillor.

Planning is at the heart of much of what happens where we live. It’s time for young people to stand up and claim their place in the process, apply to be a placemaker today!

Kyle Thornton MSYP

Kyle is Vice Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament. The 18 Year-Old from Glasgow is the elected MSYP for Glasgow Southside, re-elected for a second term in March 2013. A student at Glasgow University, he is currently studying Politics/Economics and takes a keen interest in current affairs. Kyle takes a particular interest in health, education and community engagement and is an active community councillor.

 

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SYP welcome Scottish Parliament backing Votes at 16 for the Referendum

May 14th, 2013

Today, Tuesday 14th May 2013, the Scottish Parliament voted to pass general principles of the Scottish Independence Referendum (Franchise) Bill at Stage 1 in the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) also supports the general principles of the Scottish Independence Referendum (Franchise) Bill.  In particular:

  • SYP has campaigned for Votes at 16 for over a decade. We enthusiastically welcome the lowering of the voting age to 16 for the referendum.
  • SYP welcomes the creation of a Register of Young Voters (RYV), which addresses a technical issue in the Scottish Government’s original proposals which would have prevented many 16 year olds from registering to vote in the referendum.
  • SYP welcomes the additional safeguards that have been included in the Bill to ensure that the personal information of young people is protected, and the consideration that has been given to vulnerable young people in the Bill to ensure that young people whose addresses should not be disclosed can register to vote.
  • SYP would encourage amendments at further stages of Parliamentary consideration to ensure that the registration forms, information and publicity accompanying the canvass refer to dates of birth (i.e. born between 1st  December 1997 and 18th September 1998) rather than age (‘if you will be 16 at the time of the referendum’) to avoid unnecessary confusion being caused.
  • With the extension of the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds, and the creation of the Register of Young Voters, the Scottish Youth Parliament feels it is essential that a comprehensive awareness raising programme for young voters is carried out in the months leading up to the referendum.

©DN AndersonSpeaking after the debate, Kyle Thornton MSYP, SYP Vice Chair, says:

“Today has seen another step taken towards allowing 16 and 17-year-olds  to vote on Scotland’s future in September next year.  In particular it’s great to see parliamentarians stating their support for the principle of votes at 16 – recognising young people deserve to be accepted as full members of society.

“We do hope the Scottish Government listen to our call for clearer registration forms and for a comprehensive awareness raising programme to ensure every eligible young person is informed and able to vote on Scotland’s constitutional future.”

A full briefing on the Scottish Youth Parliament’s position on the Bill can be found: Referendum Franchise Bill Stage 1

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Deans calls on Scottish Government to ban ‘offensive and discriminatory Mosquito devices’

April 30th, 2013

AndrewDeansToday, Tuesday April 30th 2013, the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee decided to close Andrew Deans petition: “Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to ban the use of the ‘Mosquito’ and other such devices which emit a loud, unpleasant, high-pitched noise designed to be heard only by those under 25.”

The Public Petitions Committee has referred the evidence provided by Andrew to the Scottish Government to take on this matter.

Speaking after the meeting, Andrew Deans MSYP, says:

“It’s incredibly disappointing the committee has decided to close this petition to ban the Mosquito device.  These unregulated devices clearly discriminate against young people, targeting them with a high-frequency sound which only they can find.

“I hope the Scottish Government recognise their responsibility to protect the Human Rights of young Scots.  The Scottish Government want Scotland to be the best country in the world to grow up in.  I think that’s much more likely in a country which doesn’t have these offensive and discriminatory Mosquito devices.”

Full information about the Mosquito petition can be found here: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01367 .

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Over 67,000 young people vote in SYP National Elections 2013

March 29th, 2013

Grant CostelloToday, Friday 29th March 2013, the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) can announce the full results of the Scottish Youth Parliament National Elections 2013.  The elections were held between the 2nd and 15th of March, with results being announced by individual local authorities from the 15th through to the 28th of March.

These were the first SYP elections to be held in all 32 Local Authorities at the same time.  Over the two week election period a total of 67,071 young people voted – enough to fill Scotland’s biggest stadium Murrayfield. They elected 142 Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP).

The newly elected MSYPs, representing every Scottish Parliamentary constituency, will take up office at the Scottish Youth Parliament’s National Sitting at the end of June.

 

Grant Costello MSYP, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, says

Grant Costello MSYP, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, says
“My congratulations to all of the newly elected MSYPs.  Standing for election can be scary, but for the successful candidates the reward is having the chance to stand up and be the voice of young Scots.  The success of the elections is down to all the fantastic young people who campaigned hard to be elected, and convinced over 67,000 of their peers to vote.  It’s a great reply to those who claim young people don’t care about politics.

“These elections have also been an enormous success for the Scottish Youth Parliament, capping a sensational twelve months.  In the last year we’ve seen the Scottish Government create bills for Equal Marriage and Votes at 16 in the Independence Referendum.  This election gives our new MSYPs a real mandate from Scotland’s young people to keep on campaigning for the fairer and more equal Scotland the Scottish Youth Parliament wants to make a reality.”

 

A full list of the newly elected MSYPs can be found at http://www.syp.org.uk/elections-W21page-71-

Four constituencies (Galloway and West Dumfries, Cunninghame North, Skye Lochaber and Badenoch and Na h-Eileanan an Iar) only had one candidate stand for election.  The Local Authorities will endeavor to run by-elections in the next few months to fill the vacant seats.

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#wectv Young People Tackle Knife Crime as National Film Making Project Awards Announced

March 21st, 2013

Yesterday , 20th March 2013 five pupils from Castlehead High School in Renfrewshire: Osama Nadeem , Jason Taylor, Cara Henney, Jordan Dagastini. Sulayman Tabassam were announced as winners of the 2013 We-CTV Awards. The Premiere Awards Ceremony was held at Glasgow Science Centre’s IMAX Cinema and was hosted by Sanjeev Kohli (Still Game’s Naveed).  The winners were presented with their prizes by Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill MSP and SYP Chair Grant Costello MSYP.

Their film, ‘Keep Your Colour’, was announced as the overall winner of the national project which is now in its third year. The We-CTV project is a key part of the Scottish Government’s No Knives, Better Lives initiative, helping to raise awareness of the devastating consequences of knife crime. This year, it has attracted over 250 entries during the initial regional competition round from schools and youth groups, with an estimated 1,200 young people participating from all over Scotland. The final ten groups to proceed to the national final were decided by an online public vote, with nearly 33, 000 votes posted in total.  The videos were subsequently examined by an independent expert judging panel to determine both the regional winners and the overall national winner of the project.

The Regional winners received a range of film making equipment to allow them to continue their nascent film-making careers.  From the North-East-Central Region, the Gold Prize was won by Alva Academy, with Glenrothes High School picking up the Silver Prize. The Gold Prize winners in the West Region were Castlehead, who were also named the overall winners.  The team from Our Lady and St. Patrick’s High School collected the silver prize in the West.

Grant Costello MSYP, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, said:

“My congratulations firstly go to the winners from Castlehead High School for their powerful and thought-provoking film. Their entry encapsulates the real dangers of knife crime in a manner in which young people can really relate to.”

“Through No Knives Better Lives, the We-CTV project gives young Scots the tools necessary to fully engage and tackle the issue of knife crime. The Scottish Youth Parliament has always believed that the best way for young people to relate to an issue is not to lecture them but to actually allow them to raise their voice and directly take action to address the issue. I firmly believe the We-CTV project does just that and can truly change lives.”

 

Kenny MacAskill MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, said:

“There is a culture of knife crime in parts of Scotland which stretches back decades and too many communities continue to be blighted by the scourge of knives. The Scottish Government, our police forces, local law enforcement agencies and community organisations are united in a shared aim of tackling knife crime wherever and whenever it occurs. The key to tackling knife crime is a combination of tough enforcement on the streets, backed by early intervention and education.

“Latest statistics show this approach is working with the number of people caught carrying an offensive weapon down to its lowest level in 18 years, the number of people killed as a result of a knife down 11% this year, and those caught carrying a knife in Scotland now being punished through the longest prison sentences for over a decade.

“There are no easy solutions but if we are to make a difference we need to tackle the root causes of knife crime as well as punish the offenders, and education is absolutely vital in doing this. Initiatives such as the We-CTV project are key to this approach and I commend the Scottish Youth Parliament for their fantastic work rolling out this project and getting the message across to young people about the dangers and consequences of knives.”

We-CTV has been developed by the Scottish Youth Parliament as part of the Scottish Government’s No Knives, Better Lives initiative which is a Scottish Government initiative, delivered in partnership with YouthLink Scotland www.noknivesbetterlives.com.

The 10 groups in the final represent the following Local Authority areas: Clackmannanshire, East Ayrshire, Edinburgh, Glasgow, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire and Fife.

The Finalists developed their videos at a special production day at either Hampden Park or Murrayfield Stadium.  They were assisted with their films by experts from: the LEITH Agency, The Wise Group, Medics Against Violence and the Violence Reduction Unit. All decisions over the content of the videos have been made by the young people.

 

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SYP call for same-sex marriage to be treated equally in schools

March 19th, 2013

Chris Glendinning MSYP

Tomorrow, Wednesday 20th March 2013, the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) will call on the Scottish Government to ensure no additional restrictions on the teaching of LGBT issues are included in the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill.

SYP will be submitting a consultation response to the Scottish Government’s Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill tomorrow.  In this response SYP will welcome the Scottish Government’s intention not to legislate to prevent schools discussing same-sex marriage. SYP also believe same-sex marriage should be taught in primary and secondary schools as part of lessons on the value of stable relationships, and on the rights people have in Scotland.  SYP believe these measures, in addition to increased LGBT education and information in all schools, are vitally important to reduce stigma and homophobic bullying and will work to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for every young person in Scotland’s schools.

SYP consulted with young people in February and found an overwhelming majority of young people support these recommendations.

Chris Glendinning MSYP, Convener of SYP’s Education and Lifelong Learning Committee, says:

“Young Scots overwhelmingly believe same-sex marriage should be treated the same as mixed-sex marriage in schools. Young people have already made it clear they support equal marriage, as shown by SYP’s Love Equally campaign.

“SYP have found young people want to learn about LGBT issues in school and they, rather than their parents, should decide if they learn about equal marriage.  SYP believe young people go to school to be given factual, unbiased teaching which allows them to make their own, informed decisions. They should not be used as political pawns.

“We hope the Scottish Government will ignore calls to meddle in the classroom and instead work to deliver a Bill which will deliver marriage equality to Scotland.”

SYP consulted with 119 young people in February and found:

  • 90% thought same-sex marriage should be taught about in schools as part of teaching about the value of stable relationships and marriage in sex education lessons.
  • 94% thought it should be taught about in high schools as part of lessons on what rights people have in Scotland
  • 73% thought it should be taught about in primary schools as part of appropriate sex education lessons
  • 82% thought it should be taught about in primary schools as part of lessons on what rights people have in Scotland
  • 62% thought that it SHOULD NOT BE taught ‘as a controversial moral issue like abortion’
  • 51% thought that it SHOULD NOT BE taught ‘as a controversial political issue like prisoner voting’
  • 71% of you thought that pupils should have the right to take part in lessons mentioning same-sex marriage if they don’t agree with their parents’ view that they should be withdrawn at any age, rising to 88% if they’re in S4 or above.
  • 63% thought that not enough is taught about the importance of consent in sex and relationships in PSE, and 74% that not enough is taught about discrimination against minority groups.

The Scottish Government’s consultation on the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill will close tomorrow at 17:00.

 

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Emily Shaw MSYP: Why the renewables industry needs to engage with Scotland’s Future #SRAC2013

March 18th, 2013

Speaking today at the Scottish Renewables Annual Conference, Emily Shaw MSYP for Shetland, said:

(Check against Delivery)

Good Afternoon!
©DN AndersonI am a Trustee of the Scottish Youth Parliament as well as a Member of the organisation for Shetland. The issues surrounding renewable energy are something which I have been exposed to while growing up in Shetland. Something that I am extremely passionate about is the engagement of Scotland’s young people in the renewables industry.

In a world facing the threat of climate change, it’s important for every nation to look towards renewable energy.  The benefits of cleaner air and water, and of reduced carbon emissions and fossil fuel use, cannot be disputed.

Young people in Scotland are very aware of this.  All the opinion polling, as well as the work of the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP), shows clear support for policies designed to protect the environment.  In the most recent YouGov poll, 69% of young people who responded said that they agreed with the continued development of wind power as part of our energy mix.  This was higher than that of the general population.  71% of the younger respondents said that their decision to visit an area would not be affected by the presence of a wind farm.  Young people understand the need for compromise and the value of wind power.  In contrast, the older generation of respondents were much less favourable to all renewable.  When asked to rate developments they would prefer to see in their local council area, the older respondents favoured fossil fuel developments.  37% of this older age bracket said that the presence of a wind farm would affect their decision to visit an area.

Last October we debated whether Scotland should fully back the use of renewable energy.  The result was overwhelming, with 81 percent of our members voting in favour.

This is nothing new, a decade ago the SYP manifesto said: “Scotland should aim to produce 50% of its electricity through renewable sources by 2020.  Scotland should become a country of excellence in renewable energy, creating jobs and protecting our environment.”

The obvious implication here is young people are much more concerned about the long-term than many older voters.  They recognise the challenges.  Yet at the same time, they are free from some of the issues which encourage scepticism.

Not having to consider what the price of fuel will be next month, or what the impact of planning permission will be on the street, means young people can look at issues on a more holistic level.

This is why those who work in the Renewables industry should be doing everything possible to engage with young people. Young people are already convinced of the environmental case.

We understand that there might be a trade-off between the perfect view and adding a few turbines that will bring local energy, local investment, and local jobs.  Because young people are often excluded from household decisions they are more likely to be prepared to engage when their opinion is asked.

Yet at the same time young people are the group most likely to be excluded from the process.
- Planning letters sent to the head of the household are unlikely to filter down through the house.
- Long and obtuse planning application proposals fail to speak to the issues young people care about.
- By comparison, presentations are rarely made in schools, colleges or to youth groups.

In essence the current approach from the Renewables industry focuses on those most likely to be resistant, whilst excluding potential allies.

However, it’s not just enough to make a generic case for renewable energy, and assume young people will be happy enough.  The natural sympathy for this industry doesn’t mean young people don’t care about the local implications as well.  This is why it’s not just about the medium, but about the message.

The Viking Energy project in Shetland inspired hundreds of young people across the isles to debate and discuss the proposals. Whether in favour or against the project, what was clear was that young people care and want to be involved in debate and discuss around the production of energy in Scotland today. They understand that the oil that the economy of their islands is so dependent on will run out and that doing nothing is not an option.

While travelling around Shetland with our MSP Tavish Scott conducting School surgeries, many young people asked for our opinions on the Viking proposals and shared their opinions with us. Young people want to be engaged in debate and involved in the industry.

Renewable energy projects can make a difference locally, affecting and improving the lives of young people.  The details of course vary from place to place and proposal to project.  In some cases it will mean local jobs, especially for younger workers prepared to be trained.  On other occasions there may not be work, but there may be compensation for the community which could be used to help local young people.
The situations vary, but the necessity to engage with young people does not.

There can be no doubt renewable energy is crucial to Scotland’s energy and economic development.  In many ways Scotland’s future is tied up with making green energy a success.  That success is just as important for young people.

Firstly because the jobs and opportunities developed by our green investment are incredibly important to engage with the challenges of youth unemployment.  Whether it’s modern apprenticeships, or high level engineering, the renewable industry is an area of enormous potential growth – and is therefore very important for young Scots.
Secondly, the importance of being able to produce energy domestically cannot be understated.  As North Sea Oil reserves eventually dwindle it’s essential we look to the future.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it’s about the future of the very land.  Scotland is a beautiful country.  Preserving that environment is one of the most important duties we all face.

Young people in Scotland understand this.  We want to be able to enjoy our amazing nation for many years to come.  That is much more likely if the renewable industry recognises our value, our potential, and works together with us.

What I’m really asking is for Scotland’s renewable industry to recognise the importance of the young people who truly are Scotland’s future, and to work with them to help deliver the Scotland they deserve.
That is the way forward to a greener, cleaner, and better future for Scotland.

 

 

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#SYPElex – Results Liveblog

March 14th, 2013

vote

A wee note – we’ve had a few enquiries from people about getting in touch with the newly elected MSYPs.  Because they won’t take office until June we don’t yet have email or postal addresses for them.  Therefore could any correspondence be directed to ewan.m@syp.org.uk

The Final results:

Dundee

Daniel Coleman, Louise Doak, Louise Dunnin and Sibelius Erskine Smith are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for Dundee

Glasgow

Glasgow announced their results on Friday 22nd of March – although voting closed on midnight on the 15th of March.

The following MSYPs were elected:
Isra Ali and Samuel Cook are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Glasgow Anniesland

Eilidh Dolan and John Gillies are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Glasgow Cathcart

Gary Paterson and Joshua Morrison are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Glasgow Kelvin

Ishan Salim and Michaela McIlroy are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn

Katie Murray and Thomas McEachon are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Glasgow Pollok

Molly McQueen and Kimberley Wallace are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Glasgow Provan

David Stewart and Greg Hepburn are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of  Glasgow Shettleston

Kyle Thornton and David Linden are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Glasgow Southside

The final results of the SYP National elections from Dundee will be announced on Friday the 29th of March after which we’ll find out how many young people have voted in the SYP National Elections 2013.

Monday 25th March

Aberdeenshire

Lee Gallon and Garden Campbell are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Banffshire & Buchan Coast

Millie Low and Chris Glass are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Aberdeenshire East

Luke McLeod and Kieran Thomas Rorie are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Aberdeenshire West

Robbie Nicol is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Angus North & Mearns (Mearns area)

Thursday 21st March

Renfrewshire

Denzel Darku and  Emma Hendrie are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Paisley

Jordan Buchanan is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Renfrewshire South

Adam Ferns and Robyn McKay are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Renfrewshire North and West

West Dunbartonshire

Dylan Mitchell and Laura O’Donnell are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament.

East Ayrshire

Ewan McCall and Fraser McRobert are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Kilmarnock & Irvine

Jamie McJanet is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley

Tuesday

13:45 – Inverclyde

Another result from last week:

Sean Paul O’Connor and Ross Hampsey are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Greenock and Inverclyde

 

12:45 – More Results

Some more results from the weekend from East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, and South Lanarkshire and Argyll and Bute.

 

East Dunbartonshire

Cameron Smyth is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Clydebank and Milngavie

Rachel Crawford and Callum McNally are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Strathkelvin and Bearsden

Falkirk

Jacob Friel and Hazel Sharp are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Falkirk East

Kirsty Gardiner and Flora Scarabello are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Falkirk West      

South Lanarkshire

Megan Russell and Abbie Young are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Clydesdale

Lewis Field and Rachael McCully are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of East Kilbride

Mark Brownlie and Maria Maguire are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse

Conner Campbell and Aric Gilinsky are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Rutherglen

Allan Cater  is is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Uddingston and Bellshill

Argyll and Bute

Katie Burke is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Dumbarton (Helensbiurgh and Lomond area)

David McLaughlin and Fraser Stewart are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Argyll and Bute

 

12:30 – Shetland

Weekend results to follow, but first the result from Shetland:

Catherine Hannah and Kaylee Mouat are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Shetland 

10:00

Morning all – yes, this is now day three of this live blog.

Today we’re expecting results from West Dunbartonshire, and Shetland.  The Shetland result will be being livestreamed at midday here: http://twitcam.com/e4rhb

We’re also going to update with some results from late Friday and over the weekend, as well as a wee bit of analysis about the results as well.

Weekend results from Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, and South Lanarkshire to come shortly.

  

Monday 18th March 2013

 

That’s all the results we have for you tonight.  They’re still to declare in East Dunbartonshire, and results for Argyll and Bute and Falkirk are also being kept under embargo.

Thanks to everyone for your comments on Twitter, which have kept me informed and entertained.

Much more importantly, congratulations to all the successful MSYPs elect, and commiserations to the unsuccessful candidates.  Elections are brutal, and everyone who has the courage to stand should be applauded.

We’ve not even started going through the numbers, but the turnout by young people has been incredible.  Tens of thousands of young people have voted.  It’s been a fantastic effort by dedicated candidates, and of course the local area coordinators and their supporters who have worked tirelessly for two weeks.

The Scottish Youth Parliament only exists because of it’s brilliant members and the great support we get.  But if today is any indication the next two years have the promise to be as successful as the last two.

More results on Monday!

 

20:15 – North Lanarkshire

 

Robert Black and Rachel Murphy are duly elected as a Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Airdrie & Shotts

Jordan Linden is duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Uddingston & Bellshill (Bellshill area)

Scott Lamond and James Phimister are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Coatbridge & Chryston

Junaid Ashraf and Rhianne Carroll are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Cumbernauld & Kilsyth

Amy Kerr and Lauren King are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Motherwell & Wishaw

20:00 – Aberdeen

Struan King and Michael Hutchison are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Aberdeen Central

Megan Lukins and Kris Chapman are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Aberdeen South and North Kincardine

Jamie Ross and Braden Davy are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Aberdeen Donside

 

1945 – South Ayrshire

Kirsty McCahill and Caitlyn McClue are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Ayr

Kate Fleming is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (South Ayrshire portion)

19:40 – Fife

Katie Heeps and Finlay George are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Cowdenbeath

Chris Cain and Eilidh Reid are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Dunfermline

Nicola Bruley and Amir Aslam are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Kirkcaldy

Liam Jamieson and Shannon Robertson are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Mid Fife and Glenrothes

Jamie MacLeod and Hollie Nelson-Smith are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of North East Fife

 

19:30 – Edinburgh

The results from Edinburgh are as follows:

Dean Pearson and Owen Cruikshank are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Edinburgh Western

Alisha Malik and Calum Fila are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Edinburgh Pentlands

Katie Evans and Terri Miller are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Edinburgh Northern and Leith

Sofia Della Sala and Sara Findlay are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Edinburgh Southern

Assad Khan and Megan Smith are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Edinburgh Eastern

Wing Yan Ng and Ciaran Davidson are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Edinburgh Central

18:30 – Dumfries and Galloway

A result from earlier this afternoon:

Amy McFall and Chanelle Milligan are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Dumfriesshire

Caitlin McDowall is duly elected as  a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Galloway & West Dumfries

18:00 – Midlothian

The result from Midlothian is:

Sam Tracey and Rose Andrew are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament.

17:30

Orkney

Iona Torbet and Samuel Murray are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Orkney

15:45 – Scottish Borders

The result for the Scottish Borders has just been announced:

Scott Redmond and Finlay Duff  are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire   

Nicola Pringle is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale   
   
 See you at 5 for the Orkney result – a very closely contested election.

14:15

Apologies for the hiatus – small technical issues intervened!

We have another result!

East Lothian

There are three MSYPs elected for East Lothian.  The result is:

Maya Allan, Rhiordan Langan-Fortune and Brendan Sleigh are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament.

More to follow shortly!

 

11:00

A quiet morning here whilst we wait for results to come in.  Guessing when Local Authorities will actually announce is of course a terrible idea. But the next result should be from East Lothian around the middle of the day.
Feel free to email ewan.m@syp.org.uk with any details about election events, parties, or announcements and I’ll put them up here as well.  It’s all part of the service!

 

10:00

A couple of overnight results for everyone:

North Ayrshire

One constituency contested in North Ayrshire, with three candidates standing.  The result:

Nairn McDonald and Josh McCormick are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Cunninghame South

The other seat is uncontested:

Luke Cannon is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Cunninghame North

 

Stirling

One Constituency contested in Stirling.  There were seven candidates in one of the tougher contests happening across the country.  The result, announced last night in Stirling, is:

Chris Wood and Anna Goodfellow are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Stirling

 

 

9:50

Morning all!

We’re getting ready for a 12 hour spree of election results.

Well to be honest there will be small bursts of election results, intermingled with large expanses of nothingness happening, which I’ll attempt to fill with trivia, meaningless commentary, and any interesting things anyone else says today.

So essentially like any other elections live blog then.

Proper introduction to come in ten mins!

 

FRIDAY 15th March

19:00

So we’ve been doing a little geekery in the background while we wait for the North Ayrshire Result.

Currently internally we have results from ten Local Authorities.  Five of those did not need to hold an election as there were no contested elections.

From the other five we’ve been able to do a comparison with the results last time.  We’re not going to release any numbers at the moment, as several of the results (North & South Lanarkshire, as well as Stirling) are not public yet.

However, at this stage the turnout numbers seem to be roughly in line with those we had last time – which would be amazing. But we can definitely say we are going to be talking tens of thousands of votes!

Huge caveat with this though – we only have a small sample here so the final turnout figures might be very different!

17:30

Elections now closed in North and South Ayrshire

However, the results won’t be announced for a little while.  North Ayrshire is announcing later on this evening, whilst South Ayrshire won’t be announcing until tomorrow night.

Needless to say we’ll be second with all the news.  Each Local Authority will announce the results first. We’ll update with the North Ayrshire result first thing tomorrow morning.

 

17:15

A wee note of clarity.  The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed certain constituencies have only elected one MSYP, rather than two.

The reason for this is that when a constituency falls across two Local Authority Areas each get’s a single MSYP each.

17:00

Some results from earlier this week

Highland

There were eleven candidates contesting the three Highland Constituences.  The Election ran from the 4th to the 12th of March. The results are:

James Goodwin and Scott Simpson are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of  Caithness, Sutherland and Ross.

Isla Mackenzie and Ellena Leslie are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Inverness and Nairn.

Catriona Ferguson is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

 

Angus

Two constituencies in Angus.  Angus South was uncontested, while four candidates contested Angus North & Mearns

Colleen Brown and Emma Farquhar are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Angus South

Eilidh Collins is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Angus North & Mearns (Angus North area)

15:30

Some more uncontested Local Authorities:

West Lothian

 Sarah Thomson and Sarah Devlin are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Almond Valley  

Dean Williamson and Ross Brunton are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Linlithgow     

Moray

 Louise Cameron and John Thain are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Moray

15:00

With the elections period closing we’re going to start with the results from uncontested elections across Local Authorities.
These are areas where every constituency in the Constituency was uncontested.

Clackmannanshire

 Morna Campbell and Robbie McIntosh are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Clackmannanshire and Dunblane.

 

East Renfrewshire

Neil Wood and Nicole Dempster are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Eastwood

Christopher Quinn is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Renfrewshire South (East Renfrewshire portion) 

Eilean Siar (Western Isles)

Roy Bartle is duly elected as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Na h-Eileanan an Iar.

 

Perth and Kinross

Calum Wilson and Nathan Dunn are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Perthshire North.

Callum Purves and Megan Cassidy are duly elected as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament for the Constituency of Perthshire South and Kinross-shire.

 

14:00

Afternoon Everyone. The SYP Elections Marathon starts here.  Over the next few days we’ll be updating this page with every election result from the SYP National Elections.

We’ll be posting results from uncontested elections from 15:00, and then continue with all the other results as they come in.

Newly elected MSYPs will take office at the June National Sitting of the Scottish Youth Parliament.  Current MSYPs will hold office until then.

More to come later, but there’s a wee intro about the Elections below to whet the appetite!

Introduction

Nicola Sturgeon and Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament

Nicola Sturgeon and Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament launch the SYP National Elections outside the Scottish Parliament

 

Since the launch of the Scottish Youth Parliament’s Elections back on the 2nd of March at the Scottish Parliament, young people have been campaigning across Scotland to try to be elected to the Scottish Youth Parliament.  The last two weeks have seen national campaigning as young people attempt to be one of 146 directly elected Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament.  There are two MSYPs for every Scottish Parliament Constituency.

These young people will be responsible for representing young people from their constituency at a national level.  They will meet with everyone from youth groups to local politicians, feeding in their ideas and knowledge to the national work of the Scottish Youth Parliament.

They face a tough burden.  Over the last two years the Scottish Youth Parliament has campaigned for Equal Marriage, for Votes at 16, and for a Scottish Living Wage.  All three campaigns have been successful – showing what an impact young people can have.

Over the next two days the majority of results from the 32 Local Authorities will be announced.  We’re going to be posting every result here on this blog – as well as covering events happening across the country.

 

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Chris Glendinning – ‘The Learner Journey: Joining up Education’

March 13th, 2013
Chris Glendinning MSYP

Chris Glendinning MSYP

Speaking today, at the Holyrood Conference on: “The Learner Journey”, Chris Glendinning MSYP, Convener of the Scottish Youth Parliament’s Education Committee, said:

Our education system in Scotland stands proud. Proud that students do not have to pay for their university tuition, proud that it’s ever changing to meet the demands of the next generation of learners, and proud to have been built upon the values and principles of equal access. The legacy left by the architects of our modern education system have stood us well.
However, it’s not enough to rest on this legacy. In an ever-changing world with new challenges and opportunities it’s vital we continue to innovate and improve our education system to ensure young Scots receive the best possible start in life.
In particular the education system has to be robust later on in the pupil’s development.  Youth unemployment is currently running above 18%.  This means there is now needs to be even greater importance placed on the skills and knowledge we pass on to our young people to equip them for life outside the classroom.
To highlight this issue I’d like you to imagine two different young Scots, who have both ended up in a very similar situation.
Firstly I would like you to picture Andrew who is 16 years old and left school last year.  He finished his education with only basic qualifications and little experience in the work place. His only interaction with employers was in the form of a week’s work experience in a local car dealership even though he has no interest within the profession. He is keen to get an apprenticeship at local joiners but because of his lack of experience he is unsuccessful. Andrew gets a job in a local supermarket where he now earns minimum wage and his chances of progressing within the company are slim.
Now picture Sophie, 21 who graduated from the University of Aberdeen last year with a BA in History. With an already saturated job market, Sophie struggled to progress in a field she was interested in, which was journalism. She cannot find full time employment; employers have told her that she does not have the relevant experience required to get a position at a newspaper. Sophie now works part-time at a local café and hopes of having a career in journalism are now diminishing.
Both these stories are fictional but do represent a real problem facing young people across not just Scotland but across the UK.
To tackle this problem we strongly believe there are key steps in which government, businesses and voluntary organizations can work in partnership to give young Scots the best start to life possible. In December the Scottish Youth Parliament and Young Scot, in partnership with the Scottish Government, brought together almost 100 young people to listen to their stories and their opinions on what can be done to combat high youth unemployment figures. SYP took those ideas further and discussed them at our National Sitting in the Scottish Parliament last week. The discussions that took place at the summit gave us and the government solutions that have come direct from the young people they will most likely affect.
The Scottish Youth Parliament believes there are three main proposals that deserve focus. The first is the need for better work experience. For too long work experience has for far too many young people been perceived to be a ‘tick-box’ exercise, instead of being genuinely meaningful. Work Experience needs to be more than simply an opportunity to see what the working world entails. Instead, Work Experience must take into consideration the aspirations and ambitions of the individual who will be undertaking the placement. In order for this to become a reality, schools need to have links with a better range of employers. With the ever changing jobs market and the boom in creative industries, schools must ensure that they have the contacts that allow their pupils to get a direct insight into these employment avenues.
The work experience a young person receives while still at school must go far beyond the end of one solitary week; there must be clear goals and outcomes from the placement to assess learning and progress. By providing young people with clear tangible outcomes for work experience, there is an emphasis that the process should not be seen in isolation. Good work experience doesn’t just give an individual focus on what area of work they may wish to enter; it has a direct impact on the level of attainment pupils can have within their learning environment.
The second of our proposals would see more opportunities outside formal education. The work done by the Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament are a great showcase of the real skills that can be developed through taking part in activities outside the classroom. We see from January’s exam results that for some pupils in Scotland, the traditional form of education doesn’t work well for them.  This isn’t to say there should be less emphasis on opportunities within formal education, but what we strive to ensure is that there are opportunities outwith the classroom, and of course there is recognition for the value of this work. Young learners need to be aware of the opportunities available to them outside the traditional learning environment. Again this can only be achieved through a joined up approach between educators and external organizations. Schools and colleges should also be proactive in terms of running their own volunteer accreditation schemes. This is more than just getting a gold star for organizing a cake and candy sale; this is about highlighting the value of volunteering in terms of contributing to society, and standing out in the job market.
Of course these opportunities and services and not sustainable if the funding that they so heavily depend upon and cut in the name of austerity. That is why we as an organization call upon decision makers to look beyond short term budgets, and look at the long term effect these cuts have upon young people rely upon them the most.
The third and final proposal we have is for a greater emphasis on vocational education. Within the Scottish education system there is still far too much emphasis on the academic results obtained by young people at a young age. There has already been a small shift to offer vocational courses to more young people both before and after the age of 16, with greater links between schools and colleges. However the mere fact that school league tables in Scotland are still primarily concerned with academic attainment is indicative of a problem that is still present within Scottish education. When a young person reaches the age of 16 there must be options available to them if the path of school, then straight into university, does not suit them.
Vocational education must not be seen to be a second rate path to adulthood nor should going to further education be either. We have seen major cuts being implemented to our college sector here in Scotland and that is simply unacceptable. Our further education institutions provide a second chance to those young people who, sometimes through no fault of their own, did not perform as well in school as they could have. As well as offering those second chance opportunities, our colleges equip the next generation of electricians, plumbers, joiners, nursery nurses, child-minders, the list goes on; but these are all essential professions that we as a society rely heavily upon and it is only right that young people get their chance to fulfill their potential.
Of course it is not just colleges that can offer vocational skills; there is a real demand for public and private sector employers out there to offer more apprenticeships to young people. We have all seen stories where hundreds of applicants will go for one position and the only way to tackle this problem is to call for the creation of more apprenticeship schemes. We are not naive enough to assume that these could be created within a month or even a year but it is essential that government works with those employers to showcase the real benefits taking on young apprentices can bring. Sectors such as engineering, oil and renewables are going looking at a skills deficit in the years to come and we cannot afford to let these opportunities go unfilled.
We recognize that it is not simply the lack of opportunities that remain the problem with apprenticeship, but also the level of wages an apprentice can expect to receive for the work that they do. For a day’s work an apprentice can expect to receive little more than £20. We cannot expect our young people to be in a financial position to be able to afford to maintain a position where they only earn £2.65 per hour. We know that there has been a real drive to introduce the Living Wage for all workers in Scotland and we are pleased to see that all 32 local government bodies, as well as the Scottish Government, will be doing so. However through our One Fair Wage campaign we are calling on private sector employers to pay their workers a fair wage too. We call on employers from all sectors to ensure that the work carried out by young apprentices is properly valued, and they’re not treated as a source of cheap labour.
We are under no illusion that the core purpose of an apprenticeship is to learn new skills and gain knowledge. However, a significant amount of time is spent actively working in their chosen field and it is simply unfair that they do not receive fair monetary reward for doing so.
Looking at the common theme that links all three of these proposals, and that is careers advice. To get the right work experience you need careers advice to put you in touch with employers. To find out about voluntary opportunities you need careers advice that makes you aware of these opportunities. To get enter vocational education you need careers advice to let you know what your options are. Currently there is far too much disparity between the quality of the advice young Scots receive, and decision makers must act accordingly to change this.
This advice must be tailored to the individual and not simply a black and white exercise to determine whether a young person will go onto either university or college, done through a 15 minute interview. No, this about getting young people thinking as soon as they enroll within secondary education as to what they want to do when they ‘grow up’. Careers advice should be fully integrated within the Personal and Social Education that all school pupils should receive.
Looking at the future of school education in Scotland, it is clear that the new Curriculum for Excellence does go some lengths in an attempt to join up the learning experience of pupils. We firmly believe that to equip young people with the skills necessary to compete in the already crowded job market, our schools should always strive to provide their pupils with tangible skills that allow them to do more than simply pass an exam. The true form of measurement when it comes to an education are not the league tables, or the number of exam passes but the number of young people who go on to enter full time employment and play an active role within society.
The best way in which we can tackle this problem is for government, businesses and voluntary organizations to work in partnership to ensure that more young Scots don’t end up in the same situation as Andrew and Sophie. The right education in Scotland is crucial for those below and above 16 and it is something that cannot be forgotten in this climate of ever greater scrutiny of school and college performance tables. We know that there can be a future Scotland where every young person gets the best possible start in life. This destination will take the form of many different paths for young Scots but it is the job of us all to ensure that they are given the best possible support every step of the way. Only by doing this can we ensure both our education system, and our young people, are prepared for the demands of the 21st Century.

 

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