Two new Members for Shetland on the Scottish Youth Parliament have been returned unopposed.
John Fraser, aged 14, from Cunningsburgh and 15-year-old Michaela Christie from Bigton took up their roles today (Tues), after outgoing MSYPs, Jonathan Dorrat and Leighton Anderson finished their terms.
This is the second time that two MSYPs have been appointed to represent Shetland without an election since the Youth Parliament was established over twenty years ago. A number of other young people registered their interest in standing, but withdrew prior to the election, leaving John and Michaela unopposed.
John says: “I stood to become one of Shetland’s MSYPs because I feel I have the appropriate skills to represent the views of Shetland’s young people. I will speak about issues affecting young people and subjects important to the health and wellbeing of young people. I will try my best to improve life chances of young people in Shetland. I want young people to feel their views are just as important as any other age group.”
Michaela says: “I would like to see leisure and sport more affordable for young people across Shetland so that everyone can access a healthier and more enjoyable lifestyle. I have been involved with a range of sports my whole life and know just how expensive they can be. With the support of Shetland’s young people, I plan to try to work with local organisations to ensure everyone gets the opportunity to be active. As MSYP, I will listen to young people and represent their views to make the positive changes they want to see in Shetland.”