Everyone from the media to politicians keeps asking just why so many women, young people and lots of us in general feel so disillusioned from politics but surely the answer is quite an obvious one. Just look at not only the Cabinet and Coalition Government but also the Opposition, the majority of the House of Commons are white, middle to upper class, well-educated middle aged to old men. There aren’t many women, there aren’t many black or Asian people, there aren’t many working class people, there aren’t many state educated people and there aren’t many, if any, people below 30. Is there any wonder their concerns are not being heard when there is no one there to represent them and the issues that they feel matter and need addressing.
There may be more women in the House of Commons than there has ever been and having someone like Theresa May in the role of Home Secretary is a good step, but can the small amount of women in Parliament really make much difference when it comes to fighting for women’s rights and issues that matter to us right now. Issues that really need resolving are either ignored or like childcare talked about but never reaching the outcome that women are hoping for. With men discussing the issue is it ever going to reach the outcome needed?
For young people it is completely understandable why so many just don’t care about politics these days. I’m 22 now and though I am very interested in politics I think and know I am in the minority. From being a teenager at school and with nothing to do in the community through to university and now being a graduate stuck in a constant applying for jobs and receiving rejection letters cycle, I know that the Government does not do enough for young people and doesn’t really listen to the issues they have that need tackling.
From the education system in need of reform to more community groups needed in order to keep some children off the streets and out of trouble by doing something positive instead. At school, teenagers are not taught enough valuable skills that they need for later life such as budgeting for their own finances, how to set up and run their own company, how to write a CV and interview techniques. There should be more training courses especially after age 16 where kids that don’t want to or aren’t as interested in academic subjects can learn hands on skills like plumbing and electrics. Though even if the education system was reformed and more training courses were set up, there are still not enough jobs out there for people in every sector. Whether you are a school leaver with just GCSE’s or you have a 1st class degree it is difficult for everyone to get a job now but there is surely something the Government can do to help for example more apprenticeship schemes and helping companies set up more graduate schemes.
As many feel disillusioned, more are voting for minority parties seeking them out in the hope it will help or using them to rebel and protest against the system we currently have in place. Minority parties such as UKIP and BNP, seen as more radicalised parties than the main three, have been picking up votes in bi-elections all around the country and there has also been a rise of groups such as the EDL too. Though really it is lucky that most of the beliefs of the BNP and the actions, especially recent ones, of the EDL are still in the minority.
But does voting for these smaller, more radicalised parties actually work? And do people even really know what they are voting for?
Voting for smaller parties may occasionally turn the heads of Westminster, see the whole EU debate after UKIP’s election success in April, but in terms of making any real significant change, it seems highly unlikely. The amount of votes these parties need to gain seats in Westminster is absolutely huge and realistically unobtainable. You may be voting for them but don’t really expect to see one in the House of Commons anytime soon.
Also, these parties’ policies are usually overlooked/completely unknown to most, myself included. I don’t know where UKIP stands on education or where the BNP stands on council tax, what I do know are their headline grabbing policies. UKIP want us out of the EU, a huge issue which a lot of people agree with them on. When you vote for a party you’re not voting for just one policy and some of UKIP’s other policies, from what has been reported, are quite frankly completely unrealistic. We have to remember the headline policy of cutting student fees by the Lib Dems if we want a good example of how sudden popularity in one area of a party’s manifesto can suddenly backfire when they do get the votes. Not only did they not cut them but they tripled them, just because a politician says something which is agreeable to the electorate does not mean they will always act upon it.
With more people feeling understandably ignored by the Government and their MP’s there is no wonder minority parties are becoming popular but just because they are a way of protesting without marching on Westminster doesn’t mean they are the only solution to the problem. Protests, petitions, running for MP yourself; we need different backgrounds in politics to stop this stuffy old school out of date ideal that is STILL going on. We can make politicians listen, spend time finding out exactly where each party stands on subjects that matter to you and vote for them at election time, after all voting is the greatest privilege of our democracy even if we have all taken for granted at the moment.