Chloe Smith lends her support to the League of Young Voters

The League of Young Voters has set itself some very clear aims and objectives which culminate in seeing 18 – 24 year olds turning out to vote in the 2015 general election at the same rates as their older counterparts (targeting an increase from 44% to 64%).  We will be coordinating events, media work and educational programmes that register young people and encourage them to vote – whatever their views.

The League asked Chloe to explain why she thinks politics is so important for young people to be involved in, and this was her response:

Why I’m passionate about young people in politics

I was elected at the age of 27.  I’ve been one of the youngest Ministers in British history at 28.  I first got interested in politics when I was trying to set up a youth forum in Norfolk, where I grew up and where I have the privilege to be a Member of Parliament today.  Politics needs to involve people from all walks of life, in order to be representative and honest.

So for me it’s obvious that young people have a place at the heart of democracy.  There’s a space with their name on it and I want them to grab it and make it their own.

What I believe

I agree with the aims of the League of Young Voters.  Love the retro styling too!  Well done BYC on the right campaign at the right time for the right people.

I do believe there is a problem if young people choose not to participate in the current system of democracy.

I’m a fan of the reforming Conservative Prime Minister Disraeli who tried to break down the barriers between “two nations between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy; who are as ignorant of each other's habits, thoughts, and feelings, as if they were dwellers in different zones, or inhabitants of different planets.”[1]  Are there still two planets?  Yes:  the figures suggest there’s a dwindling tribe of older voters and a growing camp of young non-voters.  The Hansard Society reported in 2013 that 12% of 18-24 year olds plan to vote.[2] 

I believe that generational divergence is an existential problem for the legitimacy of British democracy which will get bigger as today’s younger cohorts get older and larger.  Our democracy should seek to balance the interests of competing cohorts.

As a former minister for electoral registration, I have publicly promoted ways to get more young people registered to vote.  But that is only the start of a person’s participation and all of us who care about the public sphere want young people to go on to take their place as leaders in their own right.  This is about civil society and – most of all – about young people themselves as individuals.  

Young people look to themselves to take action.  They look to businesses, charities and action groups to achieve things for their chosen community.  Actions that the state can take come a long way down the list, according to research by Demos.[3]

But if you want a state at all, then someone still has to run the country.  And why shouldn’t that someone be you?  If a young person today finds politics irrelevant, we as their current political representatives must convince them that it’s in their interests to be in not out, and that through politics, they can lead democracy themselves to address their generation’s values and aspirations.

Why wouldn’t you want to choose how your community and country are run?  You wouldn’t let your gran or your dad choose your clothes, so why would you leave running your community and your country to them?

So let’s make that ‘problem’ into an exciting opportunity – the opportunity of #votepower.

What I’ve done so far

For me, this builds on the campaign I founded in my constituency, www.NorwichForJobs.org.uk.  Its aim is to halve Norwich youth unemployment in two years.  This means getting 1,000 young people into work.  Local Norwich businesses are responding massively to the call with over 600 young people in paid work thanks to the campaign at the time of writing – after thirteen months.  The Employment Minister described it as “pioneering”.  This kind of practical project has shown young working people that the community, including businesses and their Member of Parliament, is on their side and can get results.

I work closely with the Member of Youth Parliament for our shared constituency.

In Parliament, I am a Commissioner for the Industry and Parliament Trust on youth skills.  I also chair a Commission with the National Youth Agency on young people and enterprise, economy, society and democracy.

I am Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Voter Registration, particularly because when I was Minister for electoral registration, I put public money behind ways to get more young people registered to vote. 

I make it my business to support groups such as:

• "No One Ever Told Me About Politics", a cross party group of 20- and 30-somethings trying to analyse the problem of generational engagement empirically
• UpRising, who run My Voice, My Vote, a new, independent all-party campaign to support young first time voters to take social action in their community as a way to encourage their involvement in the democratic process
• Youth Employment UK, with their Youth Friendly Badge scheme

I am also working with Politics academics at the University of Nottingham, including on some practical research projects for the Politics students and advising on the planning of a longitudinal study into young people's democratic patterns.

What I will do – at the very minimum!

1. Lead Norwich For Jobs to completion with a thousand Norwich young people into work, and encourage our NFJ Young People’s Panel to own the project after its initial two year goal.
2. Encourage young people in my area to get involved in social action that benefits both them and their community.
3. Introduce young people to other leaders in my area who could help them with their social action campaigns.
4. Encourage young people in my area to register to vote.
5. Encourage young people in my area to come and join me on my General Election campaign.
6. Hold a youth hustings during the election campaign so issues of interest to first time voters can be addressed directly.
7. Continue to speak in schools about ‘what politics is for’.
8. Continue to support the organisations and work I list above.
9. Continue to run work experience programmes in my constituency office for local young people to demonstrate an MP’s work.
10. Contribute to my party’s process for drafting our manifesto, on the key issues affecting young people today like jobs and housing, to show that politics works for this generation.