written by Connor Clarke
It was the morning of November 7, 2019 when a bus full of Welsh Members of Youth Parliament set off from Cardiff, heading east towards London. This time not for a conference but a sitting, a sitting in a place none other than the Houses of Parliament. It was the UKYP’s annual House of Commons sitting time, and we were ready for action!
A few weeks prior, I had been elected to serve as Debate Lead for Wales. This gave me the immense privilege to give a speech from the Dispatch Box – where the Prime Minister gives his addresses, no less. I was, thankfully, given the topic of “Protecting the Environment” and on the day, through some nervous waiting on the iconic green benches, I stood up and declared “We will not be the generation to see our planet in ruins and we won’t let our predecessors be that either”.
However, my own contributions to the UKYP history books was not the only benefit of the weekend. A number of smashing back-bench speeches were given by Welsh MYPs, including our very own Victor Ciunca. Victor gave a very rousing speech, as well as so many MYPs who gave their opinions on the results of the Make Your Mark Ballot.
A clear response came out of Make Your Mark; Protecting our Environment is a priority for children and young people across not only Cardiff, but Wales and the wider United Kingdom. In that spirit, the UKYP approved a motion to make it young people’s priority for the year 2020 – as well as news that it will be published as a petition to the UK Parliament itself!
This is not only historic as it is young people using their formal voices to try to lobby change, but it was the first time a Welsh motion became the United Kingdom’s national campaign. In the summer of 2018, I went to the University of Nottingham to propose the motion of “Protecting the Environment” and it was this motion that was selected to be on the 2019 Make Your Mark ballot. The rest, as they say, is history.
A once in a lifetime journey and one for the history books! The UKYP House of Commons sitting was a thorough success, despite the long bus journey!
Ty’r Cyffredin
Ysgrifennydd gan Connor Clarke
Bore’r 7fed o Dachwedd, 2019 oedd hi pan aeth bws yn llawn aelodau Cymreig o Senedd Ieuenctid y Deyrnas Unedig o Gaerdydd i Lundain. Y tro hwn nid ar gyfer cynhadledd ond ar gyfer sesiwn yn San Steffan o bobman. Dyma oedd sesiwn flynyddol Senedd Ieuenctid y Deyrnas Unedig yn Nhŷ’r Cyffredin, ac roeddem yn barod amdani!
Ychydig wythnosau cyn hynny, roeddwn wedi fy ethol i fod yn Arweinydd y Ddadl dros Gymru. Rhoddodd hwn y fraint anferth i mi gael rhoi araith o’r Dispatch Box – y man lle mae neb llai na’r Prif Weinidog yn annerch ohono. Roeddwn i, diolch byth, wedi cael pwnc “Diogelu’r Amgylchedd” ac ar y diwrnod, ar ôl aros yn nerfus ar y meinciau gwyrdd eiconig, fe sefais a datgan “Nid ni fydd y genhedlaeth i weld ein planed ar chwâl ac ni fyddwn yn gadael i’n rhagflaenwyr fod yn hynny chwaith”.
Fodd bynnag, nid dim ond fy nghyfraniad i hanes UKYP oedd un o’r pethau gorau am y penwythnos. Clywyd nifer o areithiau gwych o’r meinciau cefn gan Aelodau Cymreig o’r Senedd Ieuenctid, gan gynnwys ein Victor Ciunca ni. Rhoddodd Victor araith danbaid, yn ogystal â chynifer o Aelodau a roddodd eu barn ar ganlyniadau’r “Make your Mark Ballot”.
Daeth ymateb eglur o “Make Your Mark” – mae Gwarchod ein Hamgylchedd yn flaenoriaeth i blant a phobl ifanc ledled Caerdydd, Cymru a’r Deyrnas Unedig yn ehangach. Yn yr ysbryd hwnnw, cymeradwyodd UKYP gynnig i’w gwneud yn flaenoriaeth i bobl ifanc yn 2020 – a daeth y newyddion y bydd yn cael ei chyhoeddi fel deiseb i Senedd y DU ei hun!
Dyw hyn ddim yn hanesyddol yn unig am y ffaith fod pobl ifanc yn defnyddio eu lleisiau ffurfiol i alw am newid, ond dyma’r tro cyntaf i gynnig Cymreig ddod yn rhan o ymgyrch Brydeinig. Yn haf 2018 fe es i i Brifysgol Nottingham i gynnig “Gwarchod yr Amgylchedd” fel cynnig a hwn gafodd ei ddewis i fod ar y balot “Make Your Mark” yn 2019. Mae’r cyfan fel maen nhw’n dweud yn hanes.
Cyfle unwaith-mewn-bywyd ac un i’r llyfrau hanes! Roedd sesiwn Senedd Ieuenctid y DU yn Nhŷ’r Cyffredin yn llwyddiant ysgubol, er gwaetha’r daith hir ar y bws!