Politics in the West, particularly the UK and the USA, is a bit of a shit-show. The current President and Prime Minister are probably the least popular leaders in the last 100 years. The division between the right and the left is more palpable than ever. On the face of it, this is terrible. But lying beneath the surface is the reality that for the first time in a long time, people are realising that politics is important, and that their beliefs are worth fighting for.
We can see this clearly in what the far right call the ‘Snowflake Generation’. For a long time, 18-30 year olds have been complacent in politics. We would either disengage, or just vote for whichever party our parents or community told us to. I say this because this is what I did. When I turned 18 and went into the polling station for the first time, I voted for the Conservatives because they were the party most of my church voted for. I didn’t read any policies, I didn’t even see a manifesto, I just blindly followed my community. I wasn’t taught much about politics at school, I certainly didn’t leave school believing that my voice or my vote mattered. I didn’t think politics would impact my life in any relevant way, and if I’m honest, it all seemed rather boring.
As I grew up, I began to realise the effect politics had in my life. I began to take an interest in the news and current affairs, began to engage in political debates and became more liberal in my own beliefs. So when I got another chance to vote at age 23, I actually read the policies and made a slightly more informed decision in the polling booth, ticking the box for the Green Party. Unsurprisingly, the Greens did not win in my constituency. The Conservatives won the seat and the country again. I felt upset, but life carried on, and all thought of politics left my mind again.
And then Brexit came along.
To me, it was a no brainer. I looked at the facts, read the proposals and came to the conclusion that the only logical option was to remain in the European Union. At the time, I was working for an online record and DJ equipment store. Here, the majority of our stock came from suppliers in Europe and I saw first hand the benefits of the single market. I knew that leaving would directly effect the business for that company, prices would rise, the value of the pound would drop and import tax would increase. As well as this, the leave campaign put immigration at the heart of their campaign, which sparked a huge increase in racist and hateful rhetoric. This offended me. I know a lot of people who’ve come from EU nations to make this country their home, people who contribute to the economy, work hard and pay taxes. I became increasingly vocal in my opinions on social media, regularly getting into arguments, and losing a few friends along the way.
For myself and many others, Brexit was my political wake up call. There was a tangible sense of loss felt by myself and the rest of the 48% who voted to remain. We took to the streets, we protested and marched to express our upset at the result. I began to realise that my vote and my voice do matter, that I don’t have to sit back and allow things to happen. As much as I hated the result and could see the damage it was causing the country, this was the moment that the Snowflake generation became interested in politics, which can only be a good thing.
We are now at a time of immense division in the UK. We have a parliament hung like a horse, with the Conservative’s trying to lead a minority government propped up by the political equivalent of the Westboro Baptist Church. Jeremy Corbyn has exceeded all expectations and gained the loyalty of some of his biggest critics, leading Labour into their largest vote share increase in 72 years. But most importantly, politicians are realising that they need to take young people seriously, after the biggest youth turnout in my lifetime.
I don’t know what will happen next, no doubt in a few weeks we’ll see Theresa May on the cover of the Daily Mirror being chased by an angry farmer through a field of wheat as her party give her the boot. Maybe Boris Johnson will move into Number 10 for a bit, maybe we’ll have another election, who knows? But whatever happens, I think we are on the precipice of a revolution.
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