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Labour axes funding for the UK Youth Parliament after it was branded a 'colossal waste' of taxpayer money

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

The UK Youth Parliament, the Blair-era body facing closure after the Department for Culture, Media and Sport withdrew its annual £500,000 grant, has more than 300 elected members aged 11 to 18.
The UK Youth Parliament, the Blair-era body facing closure after the Department for Culture, Media and Sport withdrew its annual £500,000 grant, has more than 300 elected members aged 11 to 18.

The UK Youth Parliament is set to close within months after the Department for Culture, Media and Sport stopped committing to its annual £500,000 grant, with a government source confirming it has "not committed to continuing the programme in its current form." The Blair-era body, founded in 2000, has more than 300 elected members aged 11 to 18 and holds annual debates in the House of Commons chamber. Insiders warn that without public funding, closure is inevitable, with no further grants confirmed beyond March 2027. Over £2.4 million in taxpayer money was spent on it and related youth initiatives between 2017 and 2024.

Critics have long attacked the Parliament as "woke" and a "colossal waste" of taxpayer cash.

The government says it is designing a replacement scheme with a "particular focus" on broadening access, with announcements due this autumn.

MoreBBC News - PoliticsUK Youth Parliament looks set to be axedThe TelegraphYouth Parliament faces axe within months - The TelegraphGB NewsLabour set to axe woke UK Youth Parliament after being branded 'colossal waste' of taxpayers' moneyBBN TimesUK Youth Parliament: Government Declines to Commit Funding Beyond March 2027 as Axe Looms - BBN Times
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