Let’s get this party started…

Yesterday, after work, I headed from where I’m based in Old Street to Westminster to attend the Hansard Society’s debate on the role under 18s have in politics.  Given the tube strike, getting there was an achievement in itself, although I was impressed it only took me 45 minutes to walk the three-and-a-half miles.

On the panel were the ever amenable Jo Swinson MP, BYC‘s chair Emily Beardsmore, 22-year-old Meryl Roberts, who was shortlisted to be Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate in Keighley (although she wasn’t selected) and 16-year-old Gerald Owusu, who is a activist in his local community as well as MYP for the UKYP.

The debate covered the typical ground of votes at 16, the negative portrayal of young people in the media and by politicians, the low turnout by 18-24 year olds and the fact that only a handful of MPs are under 35 (Jo being the youngest at just shy of 30).  Wearing my trustee hat, it was heartening to see many of the young people in the room say that they wanted better citizenship education.

Years ago, when I had the one of my first career wobbles whilst at the BBC, I applied and was interviewed for a job on the education team at the Electoral Commission. I was asked to present my ideas on engaging more young people, and I suggested a website that they could debate and vote on issues. My interviewers nodded in enthusiasm for the idea, but then promptly shot it down because the Electoral Commission can not be involved in anything that could be seen to favour one political party. And whilst I can understand that the regulator needs to remain objective; it seems a little daft that they are the statutory body charged with promoting political engagement. As someone said yesterday, politics is nothing without a difference of opinion.

Like many of these debates, the people in the room were broadly in agreement that something needed to be done, and in the wake of the expenses scandal there is a feeling that now is a good time to seize the opportunity. The debate was on the day Gordon Brown announced he wanted to introduce changes to the electoral system. Unfortunately, as one speaker from the floor passionately pointed out, no-one who could change the situation was in the room to hear this call. And, much that I like supporting these events, it does feel sometimes that we gather in a room, agree something needs to change, and then go back to where we were before.

So what could be done? Well, much that it pains me to say it, young people (and those who support the idea of young people’s greater participation) could learn from the BNP. The BNP managed to secure victories in both the local and European elections; but more than that, they have massively shifted the debate about immigration so that both the Tories and Labour are trying to prove their credentials at being tough on asylum seekers and other migrants.

The greater the number of people who don’t vote, the more power you have if you can get them into a polling station and ticking your box. In the last two (possibly three) elections, had the non-voters had a party to vote for, it would be in government. And if, as many young people claim, they are disenfranchised by existing political parties, that sounds very like the reasons people choose to vote more fringe parties such as the BNP.

Emily Beardsmore said she never wanted to be an MP. But even if she didn’t get elected, the threat that she could be elected by voters who think she will better represent them than other people would be enough to wake up the other parties. And, unlike the BNP, existing politicians couldn’t complain about their fundamentalist undertones. Although they might just try fitting a mosquito to the Houses of Parliament.

So, anyone want to start a political party?

Image artwork by Borf, phot courtesy of After Yesterday. Used under licence.

Tags:bnp, byc, citizenship education, electoral commission, hansard society, jo swinson, labour party, meryl roberts, ukyp, votes at 16