1–7 NOV 2020 ukparliamentweek.org the girlguiding laser edition #UKPW This year we mark ten years of UK Parliament Week! Each year it has grown and grown. Last year was the biggest yet. 11,800 activities took place, and over 1.2 million people got hands on with democracy. Activities took place in every one of the 650 constituencies across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and in 47 other countries around the world too! This UK Parliament Week we are looking ahead to the next ten years. What issues are important to the groups you work with? What changes do they want to see over the next ten years? How can they work with UK Parliament to make it happen? Your UK Parliament Week kit is full of the tools, ideas and inspiration you’ll need to learn about how the UK Parliament works and how you can make a difference. It’s down to you that UK Parliament Week is such a success and we can’t wait to hear how you get involved this year! Get Social Follow @YourUKParl on Twitter and share your activities using #UKPW. Or visit ukparliamentweek.org for more information. Contents It starts with... UK Parliament 02 What is the UK Parliament? 03 Who represents you? 04 Action 06 Get talking 07 Get inspired 10 Get planning 12 You 14 Get creative 15 Voting and elections 16 Influence 18 Engage 20 Fun 24 Quiz 26 Chatterbox 28 01 02 #UKPW What is the What is the difference between UK Parliament? Parliament and Government? The UK Government is responsible for the day-to-day The UK Parliament makes laws, and checks running of the country, while the UK Parliament’s and challenges the work of the UK Government. role is to shape and scrutinise the law and government policy. It is made up of two Houses, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The UK Parliament includes Members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. MPs are elected to the House of Commons by local areas, The UK Government is made up of members called constituencies, and members of the House of from the largest party or parties in Parliament Lords are appointed for their knowledge and experience. after a general election. The UK Parliament makes laws, debates local, national The leader of the winning party becomes the and international issues and questions the Prime Minister Prime Minister. They choose a team of MPs and and other Ministers about the work of the government. members of the House of Lords, called ministers, Some members work together in select committees to form their government. Each minister leads a to look at issues in detail, listening to views from the department with a different responsibility, such public and experts to make recommendations to as the UK’s relationship with other countries, trade the government. or the environment. All this work is broadcast live on television and online Most ideas for new laws and policies come from the so that you can see what the UK Parliament is doing. government. It is the role of Parliament to look at these ideas in detail and vote on any final decision. The House of Commons The House of Lords 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected by the Around 800 members work in the House of Lords. public to work in the House of Commons. Each one They have a range of different social, political and represents an area of the UK, called a constituency. professional experience. MPs spend some of their time working at the House of Most members are appointed as life peers. They Commons and some time working in their constituency. are chosen for their professional experiences. Many This helps them to represent the views of their members have a political background, and others constituents in Parliament. have worked as doctors, soldiers, scientists, writers, Anyone aged 18 and over can stand in an election to judges, lawyers and police officers. become an MP. Members of the House of Commons Some members of the House of Lords are members bring a wide range of professional and political of political parties, but some are not part of a political experience to their work. party. This group sit in the middle of the Chamber and You can register to vote for your local MP from the age of 16 are known as ‘crossbenchers’. and can take part in a general election from the age of 18. 03 ukparliamentweek.org Knowing who represents you and who to contact if you have an issue or idea to share is key to getting your views heard. The UK is a representative democracy which means that citizens choose individuals Devolved Parliaments to make decisions on their behalf. You In 1999, some powers of the UK Parliament were are represented in the UK Parliament by given to parliaments and assemblies based in your MP – but they are not the only people Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in a process called devolution. representing your interests. This change put the power to make decisions closer Activity: Who represents me? to the people affected. Three devolved legislatures can make and change This activity is to get your group thinking about what laws on specific issues that affect each UK nation. representation means and who represents them. They are: 1. Discuss with your group what representation means. · The Scottish Parliament. Use examples from their experience, such as school · The Welsh Parliament/Senedd Cymru. council representatives or group leaders. · The Northern Ireland Assembly. 2. Ask your group to suggest people or groups who The UK Parliament continues to make laws represent them. Use the map opposite as a prompt. which impact the whole of the UK and England. Encourage them to think as broadly as possible, considering representatives within schools, faith Other resources about devolution communities or age groups. are available at ukparliamentweek.org 3. Now label the map, adding extra representatives relevant to your group. They may be surprised how many people they could contact about issues affecting them. Take it further Encourage your group to work with local representatives on issues which matter to them. Invite a local representative to talk to your group about their work. 04 #UKPW Draw lines to show where these representatives are based. Don't forget your MP will be based in your constituency as well as the UK Parliament. Elected Mayor... In some areas of the UK, you might also have an elected mayor who represents your city or region. MLAs at the Northern Ireland Assembly... If you live in Northern Ireland you have an MLA (Member MPs... You have an elected MP of the Legislative Assembly) who (Member of Parliament) who represents your constituency. represents your constituency in debates and when making laws. MSs at the Welsh Parliament... If you live in Wales you have MSPs at the Scottish Parliament... one representative for your edinburgh If you live in Scotland you have local constituency and four one MSP (Member of the Scottish MSs (Members of the Senedd) Parliament) who represents your for your region working at local constituency and 7 MSPs belfast the Welsh Parliament/ representing your region. Senedd Cymru. Members of the House of Lords... Council Mayor... Some councils use their specialist knowledge to have a mayor. They are responsible look at laws and issues in detail. for the day-to-day running of your You can contact a member of the local services. House of Lords about an issue that affects you. Local Councillors... You also have cardiff Local Councillors who represent london you and your community when decisions are being made about your local area. 05 06 #UKPW Change always starts with conversation. Use these activities to help your group share their ideas. Activity: What matters to you? Get groups thinking about what matters to them. The aim is for groups to listen to different ideas, rather than taking sides. You can discuss one of the issues presented on the discussion cards on page 8, or tackle several. Use the prompt questions on each card to get discussions started and to support critical thinking around each issue. Keep a note of the ideas which come up to help summarise the discussion at the end. Adapt the activity for your group: • Use the blank cards to include issues which are relevant to your group. Think about things which are affecting the local area or their age group. Activity: It starts with an idea • Challenge your group by asking them to rank the issues Help your group to focus on their own campaign from most important to least. Remind them there are no for change. right or wrong answers. This should prompt discussion about how difficult it can be to prioritise some issues 1. What matters to you? over others. Use the discussion cards to get the group talking about • Use this activity to consider how MPs and members of things they would like to change. Ask each group to agree the House of Lords debate, question and scrutinise the on one campaign. If they can’t decide, hold a vote. Government on multiple issues every week. 2. What do you know? Spend time researching the issue. What change would you like to see? Who has the power to make that change? Take it further Ask the group to form three key messages they want people to know about their issue. All the debates which take place in the UK Parliament are recorded and available to 3. Get attention! watch live on parliamentlive.tv Now it’s time to create a catchy campaign slogan.