By Hussain Zaidi
Politics is defined as the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups. The Greek Πολιτικά (politikí) literally means ‘affairs of the cities’. Politics involves the decision making behind the distribution of resources and status. Therefore, a government holds an immense power over each and every aspect of our society. This has increased immensely during the pandemic, with the government yielding the control to bring our civilisation to an abrupt halt.
The recent London mayoral election featured a record-breaking number of candidates. A total of twenty appeared on the ballot, including Count Binface (formerly known as Lord Buckethead), Max Fosh, and Niko Omilana. Omilana is the second most popular candidate in the 18-24 age group after incumbent Sadiq Khan. Whilst precise data on how certain demographics voted is yet to be released, 19% of young people were prepared to vote for him, despite him having never held any form of political office. Niko is leader of the Niko Defence League (NDL), an organisation he founded in response to the far-right, Islamophobic English Defence League (EDL) . Niko’s manifesto included comedic potential policies such as deporting the EDL to Poland “so they can learn what it’s like to be an immigrant” and “having all racists’ teeth removed”.
Niko has attracted a cult-following amongst young people. However, I would not call this an interest in politics; it is simply a fad that won’t translate into a longstanding interest. Some have argued that an increasing sense of voter apathy and disillusionment with politics is purported by comedic candidates such as Niko. Caring about politics does not simply mean caring about who wins an election; to be political is to care about decisions that affect everyone. I argue that this ‘humouring of politics does not lead to people becoming political. What this election has shown is that young people do not care ‘enough’ about politics.
In response, I argue that there is a countless number of issues that young people have reason to care about. These include colossal issues such as LGBTQ+ rights. Whilst some argue that young people make a change, I would disagree. Young activists, such as Greta Thunberg, have led to a substantial shift in the climate policy of many governments. Politics directly affects the future of young people more than others, yet Joe Biden is 78 and Boris Johnson is hardly youthful at 56.
In recent years, as Brexit dragged on and America became ‘increasingly lunatic’, many of us have become increasingly politically aware, and sceptic of the state of our democracy. Some have argued that there is an increasing sentiment of apathy against anything political. Voter apathy has become a greater issue. Last month’s mayoral election attracted a 42.2% turnout; this has decreased since 2016 and is substantially less than the 83.9% turnout that re-elected Clement Attlee in the 1950 General Election.
However, I disagree with those who believe that the ‘lunacy’ of our politics is a good reason not to vote. After-all, even if you dislike all candidates, you can still spoil your ballot to show your disdain. The past year has been exceptionally formative for many who have been politicised by recent events. These include the Government's handling of the pandemic, November’s presidential election, the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. A greater knowledge of politics can provide us with a better insight of the underlying problems behind these issues. This can help us work to resolve these important issues.
I also argue that politics is somewhat entertaining. Elections can be especially theatrical in nature. I cite the example of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election. Both main candidates led disastrous, blunder-filled campaigns, and Trump’s denial of his loss was a source of futile melodrama. Politics has become increasingly important. Leaders such as Donald Trump have attained a cult-following and revolutionised the way we view politicians.
Politics is the vehicle for change and politicians control almost every aspect of our society, such as the amount of tax we pay, who we are at war with, where our energy comes from and how much our bins cost. Due to the pandemic, they now have an unprecedented amount of control over our lives. For many, pandemic-era policies such as successive lockdowns have unmasked the true power of our governments. Therefore, I argue we must now scrutinise their actions more than ever. Having a knowledge of politics makes you a more informed voter and can ensure that your values remain important to those in-charge. The age of social media has led to young people having a greater influence than ever before. We should all use our platforms to show a greater interest in our politics.