Chloe SmithMP for Norwich North
Chloe Smith
Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North has this week pledged support for 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.
This part of Chloe's extensive work as an MP to help young people, including with Norwich For Jobs; leading the All Party Parliamentary Group on Voter Registration as a former minister for electoral registration; two commissions on youth engagement which she is chairing or participating in; a published interview in the Guardian (December 2013) on young people and democracy; and many visits as a speaker to schools in East Anglia.
My Voice, My Vote is a programme of UpRising, a new charity that has Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband as its three founding Patrons.
The programme will see young people trained in leadership skills and campaigning techniques such as digital storytelling, and then supported to take part in social action within their local community - all aimed at developing a passion and interest in the wellbeing of the community in which they live. At the same time, with support from and access to a network of elected representatives, business and civic leaders young people will be encouraged to recognise the link between the future of their neighbourhood and the use of their right to vote.
UpRising will begin its activities in the summer of 2014, launching in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Stoke and Luton. Chloe has invited the team to Norwich so that local young people can take part.
Youth voting has been falling since the 1970s. While the percentage of all registered voters participating in the 2010 election increased from the previous poll, only 44 per cent of voters aged 18-25 took part, compared with 76 per cent of voters aged 65 or older. Turnout was particularly low among young women aged 18-25: only 39 per cent went to the polls, compared with 50 per cent of young men of the same age.
Boosting levels of youth voting is important because without active engagement by young people in the political process their priorities are less likely to be heard and acted upon by policy makers. This cross-party campaign seeks to increase these levels, and sees participation in volunteering and social action as key to encouraging this increase.
Youth engagement is social action is also low in Britain today. 29 per cent of young people aged 18-25 take part in regular volunteering within their community compared to 59 per cent amongst the same age group in Canada, according to research by the think-tank Demos. Organisations such as the nationwide campaign Step Up to Serve is seeking to encourage greater volunteering and youth participation in community campaigning; other campaigns such as Bite the Ballot are seeking to boost voter registration by young people: UpRising supports all of these campaigns, and the My Voice, My Vote initiative adds to these efforts by, for the first time, encouraging social action as a direct way of stimulating interest in voting and the democratic process.
As part of the campaign political representatives are pledging to support the following aims across the country.
Chloe Smith MP pledges to:
1. "Encourage young people in my area to get involved in social action that benefits both them and their community
2. Introduce young people to other leaders in my area who could help them with their social action campaigns.
3. Encourage young people in my area to register to vote
4. Encourage young people in my area to come and join me on my General Election campaign
5. Hold a youth hustings during the election campaign so issues of interest to first time voters can be addressed directly."
Chloe Smith MP for Norwich North commented:
“I’m pleased to be lending my support to the My Voice, My Vote Campaign to increase young people’s engagement in politics and the democratic process through taking social action. It benefits all of us if young people are engaged in politics and exercise their democratic right.
"Our new Member of Youth Parliament in Norwich North, Jessica Oghenegweke, sets a great example of community action. I try to do the same with projects like Norwich For Jobs. Politics isn't a dirty word - it just means doing things to try to make your community and your country a better place.
“It stands to reason that if you have a passion for your community and its future then you are more likely to exercise your right to vote on decisions effecting your area come election time. Making that link between volunteering and politics is therefore a key way to encourage young people to vote and reverse the decline in their participation in recent General Elections.
"You wouldn't let your dad or your grandma choose your clothes; why would you stand aside and let only older people decide the future of your community and your country?"