Get Involved

Politics impacts us and our daily lives, so it is vital that we are able to get involved and have our say. This section highlights different ways to get involved in politics, from signing a petition, to voting in an election.

10 Ways To Get Involved In Politics

Here are 10 ways that you could get involved in politics. Click the titles for more details about the ways to get involved.

If you’re aged 16 or over (and meet citizen/residency requirements), you can register to vote in the UK. Once registered, you’ll be eligible to vote in UK elections from the age of 18. If you live in Scotland, you can register from the age of 14 and vote in some elections from the age of 16.
If you’re passionate about pushing for change on a particular topic, you can create or a sign a petition or e-petition. E-petitions on the UK Parliament’s website receiving more than 10,000 signatures will receive a government response, while over 100,000 signatures could see the petition debated in the House of Commons.
If you’d like to find out more about what politicians are doing on a particular topic, or would like to raise some concerns, you can contact the Member of Parliament (MP) for your constituency. Many MPs hold meetings in the community (also known as surgeries) and can also be contacted by email or phone.
 
 
Many people choose to affiliate with a political party. Once you’ve become a member of a political party, you might like to take part in local, regional or national party events, and campaign for the party in your constituency.
If you’re aged 11-18, you can stand to become a member of the UK Youth Parliament. The UK Youth Parliament provides opportunities for young people to use their voice to bring about social change through workshops, debating and campaigning.
If you’re passionate about caring for others and driving positive change, why not consider becoming a Member of Parliament? To become a Member of Parliament you’ll need to campaign and gain support in a general election campaign.
 
 
Governments and other authorities will often ask members of the public to participate in consultations or focus groups to help it to better understand a particular topic or issue. Sharing your experience could help people make better decisions
If you have opinions to share, why not consider writing your own blog, writing a letter to your local newspaper or submitting an article to an online publication? Sharing your opinion may inspire others to get involved and push for positive change.
There are many different campaign groups that hold events, demonstrations and protests to argue for a particular cause. For example, people have left schools and workplaces over the last year to take part in a climate strike for the day.
Thousands of people volunteer each month to help improve their communities, either on their own or through community and social action groups. You don’t have to associate with a political party in order to make positive change.

Latest Opportunities

Here is a collection of some of the latest opportunities to get involved in politics and social action. Click the titles for more details.

Making your voice heard is a key part of getting involved in politics.

At The Speaker, we offer the opportunity for young people to share their opinion on our site, whether to make their voice heard or to practice their writing. Find out more and submit your writing here.

The Borgen Project is an international organization that advocates for the world’s poor, currently recruiting for their voluntary political affairs programme – see LinkedIn for more details.

The Speaker is actively looking for new editors to join its team and support its social not-for-profit mission. If you’re passionate about empowering young people and making politics accessible for the wider public, please get in touch.

The Digital Inclusion Research Hub exists to advance understandings of the effects of the digital divide on the UK economy, communities, and individuals.

The Hub is focused on three main projects including the Labour Market, Health and Healthcare, and Civic Participation, and is currently looking for policy researchers.

The Next Gen Conference is all about inspiring young minds and forging connections. Key themes include mental health, the climate crisis, digital activism and encouraging young people to vote and make their voices heard. Find out more and secure a free ticket here.

We aim to update this list of opportunities regularly. If you know of an opportunity you’d like us to share, please get in touch.

Sign Up To Email Updates

Vote in Elections
To learn more about politics and how it works, check out our Explaining Politics section.
For inspiration to get involved in politics, check out our Inspiring Stories section.
 
 
 
Useful Links
Register To Vote – gov.uk/register-to-vote 
UK Youth Parliament – ukyouthparliament.org.uk 
UK Parliament – parliament.uk