Funding uncertainty puts UK Youth Parliament's future in jeopardy

The UK Youth Parliament faces possible closure as the government signals it will not commit funding beyond March 2027. DCMS funded it at about £453,000 in the last year, with roughly £2.4m public money spent on related youth initiatives since 2017, but a government review found only a quarter of young people know about it and some schools feel excluded. Officials say a new democracy-focused scheme, with emphasis on under-represented groups, is being designed, while supporters warn scrapping it would harm youth voice and democratic engagement.