With the General Election fast approaching, you may question why you should take the time to vote. Third-year Politics and International Relations student, Ghalia, tells us why she's voting on 4 July.
Ghalia Amer
Third-Year Politics & International Relations Student
With the General Election fast approaching, you may question why you should even vote as a student and young person. The current government has not only made it more difficult for young people to vote but they have also de-centred young people from key policies, which disproportionally impacts us and our futures negatively.
Although everyone’s priorities will differ, most people can agree that the current state of our government is not representative of the main issues we care about and our main concerns, so here are just a few reasons I am voting as a student and young person in the UK.
Student loans and the cost of living
One of the biggest issues that disproportionately affects students and young people. The way maintenance loans and repayment plans are currently set up means that graduates start their lives post-education with a higher financial burden than ever before.
This, along with the effect of the cost-of-living crisis on young people, which the current government has not adequately addressed, means that we are starting our lives after education in a more disadvantaged financial position, with the burden only getting worse as new policies are introduced.
This increasing financial burden on students has negatively impacted our physical and mental health and overall decreased our standard of life, and this affects students from lower socio-economic backgrounds more than others, which increases the gap in the attainment of higher education for poorer students.
Voting is the only way to ensure that the new government pay attention to this issue, so make sure you look into the policies of your local MPs and vote for the person who will advocate for these issues.
Underemployment and Unemployment
Securing job roles after graduating is a whole other issue, with most students increasingly finding it difficult to find fulfilling and well-paid roles. Underemployment is where an individual is working but in a position that they are either overqualified for or that doesn’t fully utilise their skills and abilities.
Along with a rising level of unemployment among young people, we need the new government to invest in our futures, which includes investing in education and access to education, as well as ensuring there are sufficient jobs in the market, creating education and employment security.
Instead of demonising some degrees, we need a government that recognises the value of education and empowers young people to seek education by making it easier for us to do so, as well as investing in effective alternatives to higher education that will set young people up for the future.
A new government that understands and addresses the realities of existing as a young person in the UK in 2024 is what we need.
Immigration Laws and International Students
Under our current government, we have seen the increased demonisation of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in the UK. This dangerous rhetoric that is spewed from the top down has only increased hostility and exacerbated ‘culture wars’, leading to a rise in racism, sexism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism.
This, along with the financial burdens of being an international student in the UK, has made it more difficult than ever before to seek education in the UK as an international student. International students not only feel more unwelcome than ever before, but it is also becoming increasingly difficult to access education due to huge legal and financial barriers.
Climate Crisis and International Political Issues
The global climate crisis is an urgent issue, often underplayed by our government, that will mostly impact our futures as young people. We urgently need our elected officials to address and implement measures that will ensure the slowing down of the effects of global warming in a sustainable way.
Students and young people have been one of the most vocal groups about political issues in both the domestic and international spheres, with our government rarely representing our views in their stances and policies.
Turn Up and Vote
Voting is the best way to place more representative politicians in power who can lobby for these international issues and the best way to further these causes and it is one of the main reasons, I as a student and young person am voting in this upcoming General Election.
Voting is important because we don’t know when the opportunity to vote for our government will arise again. For many of us this will be our first general election, let’s show up, and be our own advocates for the issues we care about on 4 July. Browse the parties’ manifestos and decide who you are going to vote for. It is time we take decisions about our futures into our own hands.
Want to find out more about party manifestos and what your local candidates are saying? Use these tools: