After a staggeringly low voter turnout in the recent county council elections, Comment editor Dave Reynolds wonders why it is that students consistently waive their right to have their voices heard, even at the expense of their own welfare.
With voter turnout in the recent county council elections in the heavily student populated area of St David’s and St James down at an appalling 22.5%, young people only have themselves to blame when they find themselves on the wrong end of political decisions. Young people not voting is a trend, not solely in Exeter, but nationwide. In the 2010 General Election, turnout among 18-24 year olds was just 44%, well below the average of 65%.
Photo Credit: Alan Cleaver via Compfight cc
While the coalition government looks to cut public spending, targeting young people seems to be the easy option, as you won’t be punished at the ballot box because students can’t be bothered to take 10 minutes out of their day and take part in a democracy that many people have died in the name of. In November 2010, we saw tuition fees almost trebling from £3,290 year to £9,000. With more and more people being priced out of higher education, applications have dropped nationally by 8% in the last two years (although the University of Exeter has seen applications rise by 25% this year). Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) has also been scrapped, leaving many 16-19 year olds students undecided on whether they should carry on their education or find a low skilled job and lower their career prospects in the long run. On the other hand, pensioners, who turn up to vote en masse (76% at the last general election) get to keep their winter fuel payments, free bus passes and TV licenses and a whole host of other perks.
Some say that because students move so frequently between different areas of the county, the decisions they make at the ballot box don’t really affect them in years to come. While this is no doubt true, it only goes some way to answering why students can’t be bothered to vote. Is it because they don’t know enough about politics? I find this unlikely. With students spending most of their time trying to avoid doing any work and rolling news on the TV, most young people should have a fair idea of what is going on in the world.
It seems that the only way for students to get a better deal from the political parties is to go out and vote more. If they see turnout among people of student age at 70%+, politicians may be more inclined to try to incentivise young people. If more students voted in the 2010 election, Nick Clegg may have been more likely to keep his promise and not put up tuition fees. Similarly, if young people voted more, politicians may even attempt to deal with the current youth unemployment crisis. 993,000 people under 25 are currently out of work, yet nothing is being done about it. We can’t be treated like this by our politicians. Go out and vote and maybe they’ll do something for us! At the very least, can we please get the wealthier pensioners to give back their free bus passes and TV license fees?
Dave Reynolds, Comment Editor
Is poor young voter turnout at least partly to blame for the government’s decisions regarding tuition fees and youth unemployment? Do students leave themselves poorly represented by choosing not to vote? Leave a comment below or write to the Comment team at the Exeposé Comment Facebook Group or on Twitter @CommentExepose.
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