TECHNOLOGICAL DISRUPTION
ALICE MUIR, 22
Glasgow
Like a lot of people in the country, perhaps, it’s the first time in my life when I have absolutely no idea who I’m going to vote for or, to be quite honest, what I want to vote for.
I made my decision about Brexit and, previously, about Scottish independence and the disappointment in not seeing the results I was hoping for in either of those polls was hard enough, but at least at that point I could accept those results were final and assume that life would move on and that the job would be done by the people who get paid to do it.
Maybe what we need, now more than ever, is the ability to express our views in a country that is rapidly changing (or, as some would say, rapidly deteriorating). We need the ability to protest, not just physically, but to be able to utilise the tools of new technology to bring the public together and seriously hold politicians to account.
But if the internet is going to be the main platform for political expression and accountability, then we also need security in the face of technological disuption. Systems need to be put in place to ensure that the information that we put online is not exploited and that the freedom of information on the world wide web that we benefit from is not corrupted.
Therefore, I have decided that, come 8 June, I will make my decision based on each party’s position on internet security.
So, while that automatically knocks the Tories from my line of view, this is an opportunity for opposing parties to think seriously about the importance of the internet to them and the influence it has on political change.
MENTAL HEALTH
TOM CHIGBO, 29
Leeds
I would love it if mental health became the big issue at this election. I have close family and friends who have wrestled with anxiety, depression and psychosis for many years. They have required a range of interventions, including self-care, talking therapies, medication and detention under the Mental Health Act.
On top of the inner turmoil, navigating through the various systems and services has often been a tortuous journey. My wife is a psychiatrist and every day I learn more about the incredible pressures faced by overstretched NHS staff.
Mental health has also become the leading concern in my work for Leeds Citizens, a branch of the community organising charity, Citizens UK. Our listening campaigns with faith groups, schools and community organisations across the city have revealed the catastrophic consequences of our failure to invest properly in mental health.
One couple spoke movingly about losing their son, Martin, who took his life while on a four-month wait to see a psychiatrist.
We are now campaigning for our clinical commissioning group to fund mental health workers based in every GP surgery, so that people like Martin no longer fall through the gaps in a system unable to cope.
In recent years, there has been growing support for anti-stigma campaigns, which have done a great deal to raise public awareness and break taboos. We know that every time a celebrity speaks about their own struggles, whether it’s Stormzy or Prince Harry, more people are encouraged to open up and seek support.
But changing attitudes alone is not sufficient and people can’t be directed to services that aren’t there. My hope for the election is that all this awareness is channelled towards clear commitments from party leaders and candidates to increase funding, make specific improvements to services and secure more accountability from NHS leaders.
GENDER EQUALITY
LUCY WHITEHOUSE, 25
London
Theresa May is a woman. She’s also the second female Conservative leader and our prime minister. Hooray for gender equality – genuinely, so far so good. There’s an important value in visible female role models.
However, as May’s leadership ably illustrates, representation can easily become a smokescreen for equality failings. It’s pretty ridiculous and fairly insulting to suggest, as many do, that because of our prime minister’s double X chromosomes, gender equality sees automatic progress under the Tories.
Let’s dismantle that myth. First, women make up just 21% of the Conservatives’ parliamentary members, compared to Labour’s 44%. May still fails to take action on Yarl’s Wood, the immigration detention centre that Yvette Cooper has called “state-sponsored abuse of women”’, and that has seen, for example, a disabled victim of trafficking dragged along “like a goat”. . The government’s proposed child tax credit reform is currently seeing robust, on-the-ground opposition, particularly aimed at its “rape clause” that will see women forced to prove their third child was born as a result of non-consensual sex. And then there’s the gutting impact of austerity. Figures from the Women’s Budget Group have found that women will be hit with a massive 85% of the burden of the government’s cuts to social security and tax changes by 2020.
So what’s the alternative? As a freshly expelled member of the Labour party, and with no Women’s Equality candidate standing in my constituency, my vote is to play for. I may well still back my former fellows if their manifesto goes beyond lip service.
Here are some core pledges on gender equality that we need now: equal parenting and care-giving, equal pay and opportunity, equality healthcare and research, equal education and the end of violence against women. And, Lib Dems and Labour, let’s see women leaders next time. Because having women at the top really does matter, and clearly, we can’t afford to leave it to the Tories.
SCHOOLS AND SKILLS
JOE PORTER, 20
Staffordshire
For too long, our education system has failed young people. We are too often told that the university route is the only viable option, leaving us with a massive skills shortage. Brexit gives us a unique opportunity to improve our education system; that requires ambitious, radical reform because today the UK is placed only 16th out of the world’s 20 developed economies on technical education.
Improving technical training through the newly announced T-levels in the Spring Budget will help to make the system more balanced and reverse our huge productivity problem. It will allow us to equip young people with the skills they need to fill in gaps in certain sectors, rather than often having to rely on immigration. A solid ground in academic subjects is also vital. Meritocracy therefore needs to be at the heart of this country’s education system.
It is unacceptable that for far too many children, their chances are determined by where they live or the size of their household income. School selection based on house prices and parental income is wrong. The ban on grammar schools should be lifted. A new generation of them will help to increase the capacity and diversity of the school system. Too many young people from ordinary working families have been left behind and are deprived of a good education. Theresa May can defeat the social injustices of our time.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Khadija Mannan, 22
Manchester
I was brought up in Tameside, in Greater Manchester, one of the most deprived areas in England. I attended a secondary school that at that time was quoted as a failing school. There was no real stability and head teachers came and went; many of my friends and peers never saw education as beneficial to them. However, I recently graduated – in law – from Manchester University. So it is not surprising that the potential for education to change lives means that I will pay a huge amount of attention to policies on schools. (I’m currently a volunteer at a primary school, courtesy of a youth and education charity, City Year UK.)
But equally, in areas like this, what can young people do even if they have acquired a good education? How do the parties propose to help create a healthy and high-skilled jobs market?
I can understand that it was precisely because of a sense of frustration on this front – anxiety about jobs – which caused many people, in these parts and elsewhere, to decide to vote to leave the European Union.
But now that article 50 has been invoked, it is important that the next government ensures that the decision made by the people does not harm the jobs market.
I think that volunteering of the sort that I am doing enhances skills and experience. I have been given a huge amount of responsibility through running breakfast and after-school clubs. But you can’t make an economy out of volunteers and I fear that Brexit will make it increasingly difficult to find a job. It’s great that education – and volunteering – introduces you to new possibilities, but it’s the uncertainty about future employment that most exercises me.
HIGHER EDUCATION
SARA ABBASI, 24
London
I believe good-quality education should be accessible to all and free of hefty price tags. While Scotland and most continental countries charge nothing (or next to nothing) for university degrees, universities in other parts of the UK are some of the most expensive to study in the world.
To make matters worse, tuition fees are increasing year on year – with a 2.8% inflation-linked rise coming into effect this autumn.
In a study published by the Sutton Trust last year, it was found that undergraduate debt in England was the highest in the English-speaking world, with students celebrating graduation with an average £44,000 debt looming over them.
To make matters worse, international students, who spend the most on their British university education, end up getting an ever worsening deal.
Due to the strict visa rules, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to stay on in the UK to work after graduation. Saajid Wasik, a student from Sri Lanka, has paid on average £20,000 a year on fees. Working in the UK after graduation would mean some return on investment.
Sending students back home also means that the British labour market is missing out on great talent, as qualified foreign graduates bring with them not only expertise in their fields but also a breadth of cross-cultural awareness.
It is clear to me that we are taking a huge step backwards when it comes to higher education. With the abolition of maintenance grants, an overwhelming number of young people, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds, might now be dismissing the idea of going to university altogether.
While countries such as Germany create a lot of room in their federal budget for education and research, they no longer seem to be a priority on Britain’s to-do list.
ENVIRONMENT
MEG KNEAFSEY, 23
Bolton
One of the topics that we continue to avoid – helped by the all-consuming Brexit – is the environment. Are we waiting for the point of no return?
Human-induced climate change causes irreversible damage to our planet. Beyond its devastating effects on wildlife, it is contributing to the strain on food resources and creating the most extreme weather. If we committed to altering our ways, we could make a real difference.
This change must be government-led. If it is left to companies, short-term profits will ultimately take priority. We’ve seen what simple changes can be made, such as the plastic bag ban that meant in one year alone we used 6bn fewer. Similarly, in France they’ve introduced bans on single-use plastic cutlery and in Sweden the government has been praised for its recycling programme.
Over recent months, I’ve heard complaints from Remainers concerned that leaving the EU will mean weaker environmental laws in the UK. Currently, the EU has an action plan to tackle climate change with targets for all member states that include emissions, efficiency and renewable energy. However, this has been criticised as simply not being enough to address the problem.
Leaving the EU does not mean that we as a nation will abandon our commitment to the environment. In fact, I see this as an opportunity to define the UK as a climate change warrior and look forward to a greener, brighter future with laws that are more progressive than the requirements of the EU.
REDUCTION IN VOTING AGE
JOE STOCKLEY, 21
Cardiff
According to British Youth Council statistics, only one of the major parties doesn’t support votes at 16.
That party is the one in power and the one expected to have major success in the forthcoming general election. And I quote: “We are not convinced by the argument for changing our longstanding voting arrangements and for reducing the voting age.”
It’s the Tories, if you didn’t guess. But why? Why deny 1.5 million 16- and 17-year-olds a vote? Scotland demonstrated the impact of young people voting in large numbers, with 75% of 16- and 17-year-olds taking the opportunity to have a say in their future in the Scottish referendum.
If young people can have an impact on the future only in the future, then they will hit upon the same problems that challenge their elders.
It’s time for fresh eyes and fresh opinions and, most importantly, it seems only fair to offer votes for those who legally can and do join the army, get married or pay taxes.
Slightly more broadly, will we see politicians attempting to engage young people in the lead-up to the general election? Or will the same pattern be followed: young people will be talked about, not talked to? Quite frankly, I’m becoming bored with that.
I’m not sure which way I will vote but on this issue alone, the Tories have alienated themselves with their lonely opinion on votes at 16.
What do Britain’s younger voters see as the key challenges?
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