Here is a blog post Written by one of the Angus Members of the Scotish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) Describing their roles:
My name is Marcus Flucker and I’m proud to serve the young people of Angus as a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP) for Angus South and Member of the UK Youth Parliament (MYP) for North East Scotland. As an MSYP I represent young people in the Monifieth, Carnoustie, Arbroath and Kirriemuir areas and as an MYP I represent young people from Dundee to Aberdeen. So, in one way or another I represent everyone under the age of 25 in Angus. In this blog I wanted to share some information about my roles and encourage you to get in contact with me, or my colleagues, if you need advice or support.
The Scottish Youth Parliament is the democratically elected voice of Scotland’s young people. We were established in 1999 and have been fighting for the rights of young people ever since! The Scottish Youth Parliament’s mission is to provide a national voice for young people to discuss the issues that are important to them, and campaign for changes to the nation that they live in. Our members, MSYPs, represent everyone in Scotland Under 25. At full membership there is 168 MSYPs representing 73 constituencies and 11 National Voluntary Organisations. There is two MSYPs for each constituency and National Voluntary Organisation.
You can find out who your MSYPs are using this link – www.syp.org.uk/members/find-your-msyp
The Scottish Youth Parliament works with partners across the UK such as the UK Youth Parliament, the Scottish Government and the UK Government and our 11 National Voluntary Organisation partners such as Girlguiding Scotland and Carers Trust Scotland.
If you are aged between 12 and 25 years old, you can vote in SYP Elections and if you are aged between 14 to 25 you can stand as a candidate for election. They happen every two years and the next elections will be in November 2023.
MSYPs have the same powers as MSPs and MPs except we can’t make or change the law. However, we can still make suggestions for changes and campaign for them. Our campaigns have taken many forms over the years and have been both local and national. MSYPs have supported campaigns such as Votes at 16 and the campaign for Equal Marriage in Scotland.
We are also leaders in developing policy. For example, it was the Scottish Youth Parliament that first created the proposal that free bus travel should be extended to young people. In January of 2019 our report on transport ‘All Aboard’ created the recommendation and by the 2021 Scottish Parliament election three parties had included the policy in their election manifestos. Although MSYPs actually feel that the Under 22’s Bus Pass should be extended to under 26s – we’re still working on that!
There are four MSYPs who represent Angus. I represent Angus South alongside Hollie McIntosh MSYP. The MSYPs for Angus North & Mearns are Hamish Fraser MSYP and Remi Salvan MSYP. Hamish is supported by Angus Council and so therefore focuses his work on the Angus North part of his constituency. Meanwhile Remi, being supported by Aberdeenshire council has more of a focus on the Mearns.
If you are unsure about which constituency you live in, you can use this link to check – www.boundaries.scot
Our boundaries are the same as the Scottish Parliament’s so check against those.
The local work of MSYPs can be different in different areas. Where there are Youth Councils most MSYPs local work will be with their Youth Council. But not everywhere in Scotland has a Youth Council and Angus is one of them.
Our local work therefore happens through Angus’s Youth Work team ‘Vibrant Communities’. ‘Vibrant Communities’ help us to link up with youth groups and schools across Angus. With them we can give presentations or ask them for their views in a consultation. Consultations can take many forms, they could be a survey, a discussion group, or activities. Consultations are really important tools for us as MSYPs as they are how we find out which issues are impacting young people in Angus and help us gather evidence so we can campaign on those issues.
We are also on hand at any time to offer advice or support on any issue you may have. Whether it be health or housing we are here to help! We can support you to share your concerns with a local councillor or MSP or we can use our own connections to ask for changes or improvements on your behalf. As MSYPs we know how tough things are at the moment. The Cost of Living Crisis can be a confusing and overwhelming issue for young people. So, if you need support but are not sure where you should turn to, we are on hand to help link you in with the right people and organisations.
Please find our contact details below, we can meet online or in-person and always at a time that works for you! You can also follow us on social media to keep up-to-date with our work!
Marcus Flucker MSYP MYP, Angus South, North East Scotland
Email: marcus.flucker.msyp@sypmail.org.uk
Twitter and Instagram: @Marcus_Flucker
Hollie McIntosh MSYP, Angus South
Email: hollie.mcintosh.msyp@sypmail.org.uk
Twitter: @HollieMcIntoshh
Instagram: @HollieMcIntoshMSYP
Hamish Fraser MSYP, Angus North & Mearns
Email: hamish.fraser.msyp@sypmail.org.uk
Twitter and Instagram: @HamishFraserSYP
Remi Salvan MSYP, Angus North & Mearns
Email: remi.salvan.msyp@sypmail.org.uk
Twitter and Instagram: @RemiSalvanMSYP
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about MSYPs and remember! We work for you, and we are always here to help if you need it!