The comedian turned self-proclaimed activist Russell Brand recently repealed his declaration to not vote, instead changing his tune to endorse Caroline Lucas, the Green Party candidate for the constituency of Brighton. His interview with Ed Milliband, in conjection with this, suggests that Brand recognises the potential for a Conservative majority following May 7th’s election, which seems to be something he definitely does not want. This change of heart, and almost desperate advocacy should represent a realisation of how important voting really is. The decision, however influential it may be, into who will run the country that you live in, is a responsibility which each individual should recognise - and those who have not registered to vote, and have chosen to abstain, have little right to complain about the government they end up with.
Some may argue that, as they dislike all the candidates, there is no point in voting. Of course, that is understandable, but there must be at least one candidate more tolerable than others, or a candidate or party who you actively do not want in power. This permits tactical voting - voting for the party who is most likely to beat the party you dislike. Whilst campaign managers may hate those who make that decision, it still allows the individual to use their vote, which is what many have fought and died for. Suffrage, which means the legal right to vote through democratic protest, is something that the people of England have fought for throughout history. In England and Ireland, those who were not Anglican Christian men were not permitted to vote or run for office until the mid to late early nineteen hundreds. Notable figures such as Emily Pankhurst, and English campaigner for Women’s Suffrage, as well as many sadly unknown individuals, have fought and died for the equal right to vote, which a large amount of the population aren’t utilising. Statistics show that 800,000 people dropped off the UK electoral role in 2014, a demoralising demonstration of how lightly people take their voting rights.
The lack of voters is even worse for specific age groups. In the 2010 general election, only 44% of 18-21 year olds in the UK made the decision to vote, the lowest turnout of any age group. However, there may be an explanation for this. The lack of policies regarding young people, excluding tuition fees, for most political parties is shocking. If there were a wider group of young voters, parties would have to formulate more policies regarding the younger population, hopefully persuading a larger turnout for that age group. In the recent Scottish Referendum, sixteen and seventeen year olds were also given the vote, and 80% of them voted. This exceedingly significant turn out is supported by the state of such countries as Austria, where sixteen is the voting age. Rated the third happiest country in the world, with a 6% poverty rate, compared to a 23.2% poverty rate in England. This gives support for the Votes at Sixteen campaigns, which is endorsed by both the Labour and Scottish National Party, each recognising it as a chance for a wider amount of voices to be heard. UK law states that it is legal for 16 year olds to join the army; we can die for our country, but have no choice in who runs it.
Voting, like education, marriage, and equality, is a right which all deserve. As a sixteen year old who cannot vote in this influential five party election, I envy those who are able to make a decision concerning who runs our country. Whilst voting is undoubtedly a choice, and no one should be forced to make a decision if they wish to abstain, I believe that if you have the ability, and the opportunity to choose the government of our country, then you should vote.
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