One of Scottish Youth Parliament’s highlights, the annual Executive Takeover (ET) saw six of our members brilliantly express young people’s concerns on today’s agenda on Tuesday,10 June 2025 – days before our nationwide Manifesto Consultation ended!
The survey, which closed last Friday, 13 June 2025, is set to help us shortlist all the policies we’ll be focusing on over the next five years, including education, services, sustainability, social justice, and rights – some of which were discussed at last week’s ET.
Scotland remains the only country in the world to hold an annual meeting of their senior servants with children and young people, giving us a chance to talk about the future we want to build.
Fatemah Ghanem and Ben Moore MSYPs touched on the need to make mental health services more accessible while prioritising early intervention. Furthermore, Ella Quinn and Bertie Summers MSYPs spoke about improving youth work conditions across Scotland, with Shona Cuthbert and Beau Johnston raising awareness of domestic abuse.
Joe Griffin, Scottish Government’s Permanent Secretary, commented: “My Executive Team and I had a really productive and positive session at the Children’s Parliament/Scottish Youth Parliament Takeover. The conversations we had were not just meaningful – they were essential. Everyone’s willingness to speak candidly helped to drive this forward. Our six calls to action are goals and outcomes that we will work hard towards. But we know we can’t achieve them alone.
“This is a collective journey, one that requires the energy, insight, and leadership of children and young people across Scotland. Together, with the full support of the Scottish Government, we can build a system where young people are not only heard but are central to every decision that affects them.
“Thank you for being part of this journey – we look forward to continuing the work, side by side.”
We asked MSYPS to share with us the highlights of their speeches a day before the Executive Takeover. Check out this video to find out more.
