General election? Who cares? I do, and you should too.

As I have previously mentioned, young people’s opinions are sometimes overlooked and undervalued, and I see this especially when it comes to politics. So is this why young people are the least likely to vote?

IPSOS Mori produces estimates of how different age groups voted at each election.

For the 2019 General Election, their estimates suggest that: people aged 18-24 were least likely to vote (47% turnout), with those over 65 most likely to vote (74%) *Source Commons Library Research Briefing, 10 January 2023.

The problem is, when young people’s views are dismissed, many lose the passion and resilience to continue to remain up-to-date with current affairs.

This means that the decisions we disagree with or negatively impact us are made on our behalf, which creates a sense of defeatism.

It’s a perpetuating cycle that we must break out of, and one way we can do this is to start using our vote.

I sympathize, to an extent, with those who feel hopeless and defeated when it comes to UK politics.

In truth, the past 10 years have been incredibly difficult, so I can see why people would rather worry about what’s going on in their life, rather than what’s being discussed at PMQs.

However, I think it’s really important that we start waking up to the fact that if we don’t show an interest and take accountability for our futures, those who are elected to represent us will have no basis to vote in our best interests - meaning that young people, along with many other demographic groups, will continue to be underrepresented.

When speaking to young people about what’s going on in the world, it’s clear that the vast majority do care, so let's prove that by increasing our voter turnout.

We cannot rely on those aged 65+ to vote in our best interests. It’s our future that we’re voting for at the end of the day.

So regardless of your age - but especially if you’re aged between 18-24 - take some time to research your election candidates, look into how they’ll represent you, and get out there and vote on July 4.

Just don’t forget your voter ID like Boris Johnson did.