How to Stand as an MSYP

Transcription

1 How to Stand as an MSYP For use by candidates SYP Elections 2017

2 Glossary SYP An abbreviation of the Scottish Youth Parliament. MSYP An abbreviation of Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament. Constituency Within SYP, a constituency is an area or organisation that an MSYP represents. If you are standing for election through your local authority, your constituency will be a geographic area. If you are standing for election through an organisation, your constituency is that organisation. Constituent Within SYP, a constituent is someone who either lives in your geographical area constituency, or is a member of your organizational constituency. In an election, constituents vote on the candidates to choose their representative. Once elected an MSYP represents the views of their constituents. Candidate Within SYP, a candidate is someone who is standing for election to become an MSYP. Policy - A policy is a set of ideas or plans that is used as a basis for making decisions, especially in politics, economics, or business. Campaign - A campaign is a planned set of activities that people carry out over a period of time in order to bring attention to an issue, and achieve something such as social or political change. Politics - The activities of the government, members of law-making organisations, or people who try to influence the way a country is governed. Democracy - Democracy is a political system founded on the belief in freedom and equality among all people. In a democracy, power is held either directly by the people, or by elected representatives. Elections - An election is a process in which people vote to choose a person or group of people to represent their interests and hold power. Sitting A meeting of a group, committee, or parliament. At SYP Sittings are when all MSYPs gather together for a large meeting. Sittings at SYP happen three times a year. 1

3 Welcome You have been chosen to stand as a candidate in the Scottish Youth Parliament Elections in March 2017! We have created this helpful guide to tell you everything you need to know to stand as a candidate. Here, you will find: Key contacts Information on the elections timeline An introduction to SYP and the role of an MSYP Guidance on your candidate profile Some tips for your elections campaign Key contacts Named Election Coordinator Your Named Election Coordinator is the link between SYP and your local authority or organisation who will support you through the whole elections process. You should keep in touch with your Named Election Coordinator on a regular basis - they will provide you with candidate training, support you with writing your candidate profile, and with your campaign. Any direct questions you have on the elections should go to your Named Election Coordinator. Named Election Coordinator Name: Named Election Coordinator Named Election Coordinator Phone: Scottish Youth Parliament The team at the Scottish Youth Parliament will be there to make sure your candidate profile is up on the website. If for any reason there is anything your Named Election Coordinator can t help you with, please contact the Scottish Youth Parliaments Elections Team: Elections@syp.org.uk Scottish Youth Parliament, Gordon Lamb House, 3 Jackson s Entry, Edinburgh, EH8 8PJ 2

4 Elections timeline and steps The SYP elections will be happening in March For you as a candidate there is a 6 stage process as shown below. You should use these steps as a guide of what needs to be completed before the elections. You will be supported to do this by your Named Election Coordinator, as well as by SYP. Over the coming months, the main thing you should focus on is your candidate profile and your campaign for standing as an MSYP. This can be submitted on the Stand4SYP section of our website at Note of Interest Candidate Training Create your Candidate Profile Your Campaign Candidate Profile goes on website Elections Fortnight 3

5 How SYP works The Scottish Youth Parliament is the democratically elected voice of Scotland s young people. The Scottish Youth Parliament s vision is of a stronger, more inclusive Scotland that empowers young people by truly involving them in the decision making process. This is accomplished through SYP s members (MSYPs), who are elected young people aged between representing different areas and voluntary organisations from across the whole of Scotland. SYP s Values: The Scottish Youth Parliament is driven by four core values: Democracy We are youth-led and accountable to young people aged 14 to 25. Our democratic structure, and the scale of our engagement across Scotland gives us a mandate that sets us apart from other organisations. Rights We are a fundamentally rights-based organisation. We are passionate about making young people aware of their rights, and ensuring that local and national government deliver policies that allow those rights to be upheld. Inclusion We are committed to being truly inclusive and work tirelessly to ensure the voices of every young person from every community and background in Scotland are heard. Political Impartiality We are independent from all political parties. By working with all stakeholders, groups, and individuals who share our values, we can deliver the policies that are most important to young people. The Scottish Youth Parliament is a unique organisation in the way it is run, as it is entirely youth-led. SYP has up to 200 MSYPs elected from constituencies within their local authorities as well as from voluntary organisations. Every single MSYP chooses a subject committee every year where they will focus on the issues within the subject, and attend subject committee meetings during Sittings. The structure of SYP The Board of Trustees (like a board of directors in a company) are elected from within the SYP membership, and shape the decisions and direction of the organisation. The Board is also supported by a group of external advisors that help them out and are there to offer advice if they need it. There is also a procedures group that makes decisions on the rules and processes for how the organisation works, and a Conveners Group that directs SYP policy and campaigns. 4

6 Campaigns SYP campaigns on all the issues that matter to young people, but the membership collectively also votes on one particular issue to be their primary focus. SYP s current campaign is on young people s mental health in Scotland. Some of the past campaigns have been on equal marriage, votes at 16, and young carers. If you become an MSYP, you will have the chance to vote and choose a new campaign. What are the main issues that SYP focus on? Other than campaigns, MSYPs focus on issues that have been collectively agreed by young people to be a priority. In 2015 SYP received 72,744 responses to a huge consultation with young people on what they thought about lots of important issues, and this is now put forward in our Manifesto, Lead The Way. Lead the Way forms the basis for SYP policy, and allows them to show others what young people think. There are other ways SYP creates policy as well. MSYPs can put forward proposals for Members Motions. These proposed motions are communicated to the whole membership, and then MSYPs ask the young people in their area or organisation what they think about the topic. At the Sitting there is a debate, and then the membership votes on whether they want the motion to become policy. 5

7 Running your campaign Are you looking for some helpful tips to run a successful campaign? These tips are a useful guide for you to start thinking about how you would like to run your elections campaign. Talk to your peers. Since you will be representing them as your constituents, you need to figure out what they want and what issues matter to them. What problems are affecting them? Are there changes locally and nationally they want to see? What do they care about? Consult with them to find out what they think. Go to schools, youth groups, organisations, and colleges and universities to meet young people where they often are. Think about why you would be a good candidate. What traits and skills do you have that will set you apart? What are you interested in and involved in? What 6

8 are you passionate about? Why would you be a great MSYP? This way, you can tell others clearly and confidently why they should vote for you. Come up with a slogan. Be creative, and think of what you would like to see in someone who was elected to represent your views. Advertise yourself. Use social media and other resources to promote yourself as a candidate. SYP will have some resources available for you to use as well, like template posters and images for social media. Target interested groups. If you want to focus on improving local schools, is there a pupil council you can talk with to gain their support? If you are passionate about the environment, are there other groups in your area working on the same issue? If you want to work on improving safety, is there a local youth organisation that works on this? You can try to convince them that you would be a great candidate to help them further their interests. Your candidate profile For this election we are asking that all candidates submit a profile through the SYP website that highlights a bit about who you are, what issues matter most to you, and how you plan on engaging and representing the views of their constituents. From November 1st 2016 you will be able to upload your candidate profile online. You will go onto a candidate page of the SYP Elections webpage (exact link is yetto-be-determined) to submit your candidate profile. You will first be asked to sign in. You can do this via a Facebook or Twitter account, or with an address. If you log on and don t have all the information to hand, you can log back on later to finish the profile. The profile itself will be similar to a profile on Facebook or other social media. There will be a place to upload a photo of yourself, and you will be asked a series of questions. It is important to note that some of the questions will be asked to supply will not be made public on the profile, including your DOB, address, and contact information. The information that will be public will be your name, photo, the constituency or organisation in which you are standing for election, and the answers to the profile questions. The profile questions are designed to give potential voters information about you and insight into how you will go about representing their views and ensuring that their voice is heard. 7

9 Once you have submitted your profile online, SYP staff will be alerted to its presence. The profile will not be publicly viewable on the website until the profile is approved by a member of staff. Profile Questions: The structure of these questions is to try to get you thinking about the responsibility you have to your constituents to represent their views, and to think about the issues that you and other young people care about. The questions are: 1. Why do you want to be an MSYP? 2. What are the issues that matter most to you? 3. How will you consult with the young people in your area or organisation to ensure that they are represented well and their voices are heard? 4. Why should someone vote for you? That s all from us we hope you enjoy running as a candidate for the Scottish Youth Parliament Elections 2017! Good luck! 8