I’m watching a lot of my friends turn 18. It’s a coming of age; boy to man, girl to woman. But to most teenagers, coming of age means being allowed into clubs and smirking as you flash your ID at the Co-Op. For most people turning 18, the last thing on their minds is who they’re going to vote for in the next General Election.
Political scandals are everywhere but then, they always have been. MPs have been fornicating on desks, claiming cash for castles and organising cover-ups for as long as anyone can remember. But recently it’s all been a bit more prominent and people seem to have decided that every single politician is evil.
Labour is the party of government and have taken more than their fair share of the heat. Instead of Labour, some will vote for fascists, some will vote for Tories and some won’t vote at all. And all because someone spent money on having their duck moat cleaned. Do young people care if an MP has a second home? I don’t think so.
When college students pick up their EMA every week, they don’t think about the government’s role in providing it. They don’t think about how the government introduced the minimum wage when they get their pay slip. They don’t think about how politicians created the NHS when they break their leg playing football. They don’t look at our doctors and nurses and make the connection between immigration and having people to work in our services and help the economy.
Politics is everywhere but it seems corrupted. Not in the obvious “they’re all bastards” way but in the way most people see its function. Politicians can work hard and still get things thrown at them. Labour is promising a referendum on voting reform if its wins the election but our votes count now.
Here are my top ten tips for people voting for the first time in the 2010 General Election:
1 Start reading a newspaper. Not a tabloid. Lampoon tabloid readers.
2 Do your own research. Are you carrying on in education or looking for work? See what each party would really do for you, don’t just rely on soundbites and headlines.
3 Debate with your friends. Some people spout off without stopping to think. Question each other.
4 If you don’t vote, you're rejecting democracy.
5 Think about why you should vote. Remember what people went through to get the vote in the first place.
6 Put bunting up outside your house. Give election day a carnival atmosphere. Consider purchasing a novelty hat.
7 Your vote counts as much as anyone else’s.
8 If you support a party, help. Go canvassing, give out leaflets, stand in the town centre handing out candy floss, paint their policies on your naked body. Try combining these for further success.
9 Don’t vote for a party that will kick the economy when it’s down, remove the Human Rights Act, cut taxes for the rich and neglect public services. I’m mentioning no names.
10 Encourage your friends to vote too. If they don’t vote, they can’t complain.
