Why should you DO DEMOCRACY...

14-20 November 2014 #DoDemocracy Why should you DO DEMOCRACY... Do Democracy a national campaign running during Parliament Week to find the burning issues that young people really care about. @parliament_week parliamentweek.org

What is Do Democracy? Do Democracy is a national campaign running during Parliament Week to find the burning issues that young people like you really care about. Meet Parliament Week s ambassadors for Do Democracy and find out why they are involved... Rick Edwards: Writer and presenter The reason that I am supporting Do Democracy is simple; I know what I think the most important issues facing young voters are, but I want to find out what you think. Tina Daheley: Broadcaster and journalist I want everyone to give young people more credit! Far from being apathetic about politics, I know that you want your voices to be heard, and thanks to social media you have more ways to speak out than ever before. Femi Oyeniran: Actor, writer, director Do Democracy is an opportunity to put what you care about on the political agenda. It is a chance for you to engage, gain an understanding of politics and get involved. 2 Parliament Week (14-20 November) is a UK-wide programme of events and activities that inspire engage connect and people with parliamentary democracy.

How can you get involved in Do Democracy? During Parliament Week Tweet, Facebook or Instagram #DoDemocracy to tell us about the change you are making or the change you want to see e.g. #DoDemocracy #votesat16 #DoDemocracy #nationallivingwage #DoDemocracy #saveourskatepark... and we will share the most popular issues with Parliament. Other ways to get involved Take part in our series of social media events with MPs and other high profile figures. Check the Parliament Week Facebook or Twitter page to find out more Attend our Parliament Week events and share what you ve discovered with Parliament Week via #DoDemocracy Spread the word about Do Democracy through your social media channels, why not tweet a vlog or blog about the democracy you re doing? #DoDemocracy 3

Why should you Do Democracy? Because democracy needs us all at the table. Do you want to see more people like you making the laws that affect everyone s lives? If so... then take your seat. Parliamentary democracy is more representative when you actively engage with MPs and Lords. What is representative democracy? The UK is a representative democracy. This means we elect someone (e.g. our MP or local councillor) to represent us and to take decisions on our behalf. Direct democracy where everyone has a vote on an issue (in a referendum, for example) is used only for important constitutional decisions. Your MP represents around 97,200 people, including you. You know how you would build a better future get your MP to help you achieve it. Get in touch with a member of the House of Lords! The majority of members are appointed for the duration of their lifetime. Many members have a political background. Others are chosen because of their experience gained in a wide range of professions medicine, law, business, the arts, science, sports, education, the armed forces, for example. Many are also involved with charitable, voluntary and civil society organisations. Following her success as a Paralympic athlete, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson was made a member of the House of Lords in 2010. She frequently draws on her specialist knowledge in a wide variety of Lords debates. 4 You need MPs to make things happen. They work for you. Don t leave it to politicians to second guess what you want.

So, how do you contact your politicians? Democracy is participation. Democracy literally means the people hold power so make sure that you get your voice heard by those who work in Parliament! demos people and kratos power Get in touch with your MP If you feel strongly about something that you think Parliament or the Government should address, you can contact your MP to ask if they will raise it on your behalf. MPs can raise issues in Parliament in a number of ways, and they can also put questions directly to Government Ministers. MPs who become Government Ministers continue to work for the people they represent, and you can still contact them. You can find out who your MP is and how to contact them on the Parliament website at http://findyourmp.parliament.uk The youngest Lord currently is Lord Wei, who was You can contact your local councillors, devolved parliament or assembly members and Members of the European Parliament through the Write To Them website: www.writetothem.com Get in touch with a member of the House of Lords Members of the House of Lords help to make laws and hold the Government to account. You can contact any member of the House of Lords to ask if they will raise an issue for you or question the Government on your behalf. You can find details of members of the House of Lords and their interests at: www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/lords when he became a peer in 2010 5

We have power together and alone W There are lots of different ways that you can effect change, together with other people or on your own. Together you can: Campaign with like-minded people or drum up interest in a topic you feel strongly about. Check out some key moments in the history of campaigning at: www.parliament.uk/campaigningtimeline Create or sign an e-petition to influence the Government and Parliament to take action on a specific issue: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk Once an e-petition to the Government reaches 100,000 signatures, the Leader of the House writes to the Backbench Business Committee. If a number of backbench MPs champion the e-petition the Committee can agree to debate the topic in the House of Commons. Natascha Engel MP Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, House of Commons I started campaigning at the age of four; at fifteen I founded One Big Community, a youth led coalition committed to ending youth violence. Young people should get involved in campaigning because we can fight for change and solutions to the issues that affect us. Jeramiah Emmanuel Campaigner and founder of One Big Community http://onebigcommunity.org.uk 6

e have the power... ON YOUR OWN you can: Get involved locally: the Be a Councillor website is packed with information about how to get started in local politics www.beacouncillor.org.uk USE YOUR VOTE in the next general election... find out more on the next page 7

Use your vote Step 1: register your vote Before you can vote in UK elections or referendums you need to register to vote. Once you ve registered you can vote in elections and referendums. The next general election is on 7 MAY 2015 You can register at 16, but you need to be 18 or over on polling day to vote. Registering takes around 5 minutes and can be done online: www.aboutmyvote.co.uk Step 2: use your vote Once you re registered you ll be able to vote at elections and referendums. 8 When there s a local election coming up, you ll be sent a poll card telling you where and when to vote. If you don t know who to vote for, check out: www.votingcounts.org.uk If more young people voted, politicians would be more inclined to create policies that benefit us and win our votes. Currently they re all more likely to listen to the needs of the over 65 s, because 80% of them turn out to vote on Election Day. Rachael Farrington, Founder of Voting Counts I am a fervent champion of electronic voting, because I believe it will create a significant spike in youth voter turnout. A spike that is much needed. Rick Edwards, Writer and presenter 52% of 18-24 year olds voted in the 2010 election This compares to 68% of 45-54 year olds and 75% of 65+ s Source: British Election Study 2010 survey data

Make your voice heard Young people are just as likely to be affected by political decisions as anyone else so why shouldn t you have a say in them? There are many ways that you can speak up. One example is by giving evidence in an inquiry being run by a Select Committee anyone can give evidence. Find out more here: www.parliament.uk/about/how/committees/select Another way to get your voice heard is by getting involved with the Youth Select Committee. What is the Youth Select Committee? The Youth Select Committee (YSC) is a British Youth Council initiative, supported by the House of Commons. The YSC holds inquiries on topics of concern which the Government responds to. Inquiries carried out by the YSC include: transport, a curriculum for life and lowering the voting age. www.byc.org.uk/uk-work/youth-select-committee The issues discussed in the Youth Select Committee are those that young people really care about. Conducting an inquiry into these issues allows members to learn more about the topic whilst getting a feel of how Parliament and select committees run, and the difference they can make. I encourage any young person to get involved. Michael Hope Chair of the Youth Select Committee Select Committees monitor the work of government and often ask for evidence from the public about issues that they are looking into. You can send evidence direct to select committees by email, so make sure your voice is heard on the issues that matter to you if we don t hear from you, we have no way of taking your views into account. Graham Allen MP Chair of the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee Watch this short film to find out how the Youth Select Committee works: https://vimeo.com/101674968 9

Want to influence the issues that matter to you? You are and of the UK population of the future. Whether you like it or not politics shapes our future. The future is being debated now; online safety, lowering the voting age, health, defence, employment and tuition fees are all governed by the laws Parliaments and Assemblies make. Become a Member of the Youth Parliament (MYP) and you can organise events and projects, run campaigns and influence decision makers on the issues which matter most to you. The UK Youth Parliament, an initiative run by the British Youth Council, is made up of 336 Members of Youth Parliament aged 11-18. Any young person aged 11-18 can stand or vote. In the past two years 1,000,000 young people have voted in UK Youth Parliament elections www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk The UK Youth Parliament gave me the skills and means to voice the opinions of young people in my local area on a national level. The Youth Parliament really helps to boost your confidence and is a great way to fuel the passion for change inside you. Chanté Isis Joseph, former Member of Youth Parliament for Brent 10

Doing digital democracy? With the rise of social media, there are no excuses for not doing democracy! You can now contact many of your local councillors, your MP or a member of the House of Lords through social media. Did you know? Between July 2013 and July 2014, MPs sent over 700,000 tweets of MPs (461) have Twitter accounts. 71% Source: http://bit.ly/1slhvh1 I communicate with many of my younger constituents on social media. It helps me to find out about issues affecting my constituents that I might otherwise miss. It also provides people, who can t for one reason or another come to Parliament, with easy access to their MP. The Rt Hon Tom Brake MP, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons Can I get in touch with members of the Lords on social media? Yes, you can follow the Lords conversations as they happen on social media and interact with posts directly by visiting the Lords Digital Chamber: www.lordsdigitalchamber.co.uk Digital democracy at Parliament The Speaker s Digital Democracy Commission (DDC) is investigating the opportunities digital technology can bring for UK parliamentary democracy. It will make recommendations in January 2015 and welcomes views from everyone: @digidemocracyuk www.parliament.uk/digitaldemocracy If we re serious about building stronger links between Parliament and young people then it s imperative parliamentarians engage in dialogue with those young people in forms which resonate with them. That s why an effective understanding of digital and social media is increasingly fundamental in connecting with the electorate. Lord Puttnam on digital engagement 11

Can you do democracy at school, college and university? Yes you can... democracy is everywhere, even in schools, colleges and universities. As a student are you involved in all the decisions that affect you? What are School Councils? School councils are elected groups of students who influence how the school runs and learns. They exist in 95% of schools across England and Wales. Get involved here: www.schoolcouncils.org www.smartschoolcouncils.org.uk Has your school council made a difference? If so, enter the Speaker s School Council Awards and tell us about a project that has made a difference in your school or community. Big or small, what matters most is that your project has led to positive change. The competition is open to every infant, primary and secondary school in the UK. A winning school council will receive an award.. For more information visit: www.speakersschoolcouncil.org {Deadline for entries: 5pm, Friday 9 January 2015. I feel young people s lack of participation is due to a lack of understanding of the current political system. This can be tackled by compulsory politics education in schools and colleges. Femi Oyeniran Actor, writer, director I am a member of the Smart School Councils Community (SSCC) which helps school councils to run effectively and produce a positive school council led project to better the community. Democracy at school prepares young people for the world of voting and having a meaningful say in our society. Daniel Njoku, Young Leader Smart School Councils Community At college or university? Invite Parliament s Outreach Service to visit your college or university and run a free, interactive session about how to get your voice heard at Parliament. Email parliamentaryoutreach@parliament.uk or call 020 7219 1650 www.parliament.uk/get-involved/outreach-and-training 12

I ve never studied politics... what can I do? You don t need any educational qualifications to vote or stand in an election in the UK, or to be appointed to the House of Lords. Whatever your background, your voice can add to the conversation. Before being elected in 2010 David Morris MP (pictured top right) had a varied career. He trained as a hairdresser and was also a session guitarist who appeared with 1980s pop singer, Rick Astley, on Top of the Pops. Lisa Nandy MP (pictured right) worked for The Children s Society before entering Parliament, helping to ensure that children who are abused, ill-treated or growing up in poverty get the help they need from Government and wider society. Over half the adult population in the UK are women, yet nearly of MPs and members of the house of Lords are men Most politicians have not studied politics at a university. Among today s MPs and members of the House of Lords are men and women who have been charity workers, accountants, nurses, social workers, business people and teachers, as well as lawyers and doctors. If we want the best possible decisions to be made, we need people from all backgrounds to take an equal part in making them. People like YOU! At a time when the public still often sees politicians as out of touch, increasing the number of female MPs is a vital step to help us reconnect with voters and improve our democracy. Mary Macleod MP Chair APPG Women in Parliament 13

What if I want to work at Parliament? I m proud to be the first person of British Bangladeshi origin to have been elected to the UK Parliament. The challenge to make Parliament more representative could not be more urgent. Currently, there are only 146 women in Parliament and only 28 MPs from Black Minority and Ethnic backgrounds. This needs to change. Rushanara Ali, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow Equality, diversity and inclusion are important to the House of Commons, ensuring people are valued for who they are and the skills and experiences they bring to make us an effective and respected institution. If you are interested in working at Parliament take a look at the opportunities below: 14 My year s work experience in the House of Commons has been by far the best experience I ve had. It broadened my knowledge of how Parliament works and I now have a permanent job as a Web Assistant for the Web and Intranet Service. I would recommend it to any young person. Shebiqa Hakim Former Clerk s apprentice House of Commons Apprentices Scheme The aim of the Apprentices Scheme is to give young people an opportunity to work in the House of Commons who might never have thought that a career in Parliament was open to them. Speaker s Parliamentary Placement Scheme The Speaker s Parliamentary Placement Scheme gives people from lower income backgrounds the chance to work for nine months as a paid intern for a Member of Parliament and also to gain experience working for the House of Commons. The scheme is open to people of any age from any location. Find out more here: www.socialmobility.org.uk/programmes /speakers-parliamentary-placements-scheme

So, shape your future, do democracy now! If you want to find ways to make your voice heard and to make change, here are a few organisations and initiatives you could start with: British Youth Council: www.byc.org.uk UK Youth Parliament: www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk European Youth Parliament: www.eyp.org/about Involver: www.involver.org.uk UpRising Leadership: www.uprising.org.uk Democratic Life: www.democraticlife.org.uk The Hansard Society: www.hansardsociety.org.uk Young Advisors: www.youngadvisors.org.uk Voting Counts: www.votingcounts.org.uk League of Young Voters: www.leagueofyoungvoters.co.uk Smart School Councils: www.smartschoolcouncils.org.uk #DoDemocracy The youngest MPcurrently is Pamela Nash, who was years 11 months at the 2010 General Election. 15

Who do you know who should do democracy? Can you think of someone who is interested in the issues that affect them and wants to make some changes? Please pass this booklet on to them and make a difference! Have a question about getting involved in local, regional or national politics? Electoral Commission: info@electoralcommission.org.uk House of Commons Information Office: hcinfo@parliament.uk House of Lords Information Office: hlinfo@parliament.uk House of Lords Appointments Commission: enquiry@lordsappointments.gsi.gov.uk Local Government Information: info@local.gov.uk National Assembly for Wales Information: assembly.info@wales.gov.uk Scottish Parliament Information: sp.info@scottish.parliament.uk Northern Ireland Assembly Information: info@niassembly.gov.uk European Parliament Information Office in the UK: eplondon@europarl.europa Virtually everything in your life is controlled by politics, so it s vital for those in power to hear what young people have to say. But they won t if you don t speak up. Rick Edwards, Writer and presenter Young people really DO care about the decisions that affect their lives. Make Parliament sit up and take notice of what YOU think by getting YOUR voice heard: #DoDemocracy Tina Daheley, Broadcaster and journalist parliamentweek.org @parliament_week