Firstly you have a right to be angry. Our voting system is undemocratic and yet we are told we live in a democracy.
Owen Winter, member of the UK Youth Parliament for North and East Cornwall writes,
"I am too young to vote in this election but when I can vote, I want it to count. I want to vote in 2020 without fear of 'letting the other side in' or 'wasting my vote'. In the marginal constituency of North Cornwall, where I live, I am sick of being told that the candidate I support 'can't win here'. I don't want to vote for a party I disagree with to keep out a party that I disagree with even more. I want to vote for a party that I believe in."
And plenty of people agree with him. The petition he set up for a fair and representative voting system has 194,399 signatures and counting.
Could it be that the 16,018,586 people who did not vote or spoilt their ballot paper felt the same way too?
If those people are taken into account, then only 24% of those eligible to vote actually put a cross next to a Tory candidate on their ballot paper. To call that democracy is a misuse of the word.
My hope - and without hope we have nothing - is that those people who didn't vote (including 42% of young people aged 18-24) probably fall somewhere to the left of David Cameron's £3000 Saville Row suit, and are so sick of politics and politicians as the current system stands, that they rejected the whole mucky business altogether.
My hope is that if we had proportional representation many of those people would feel empowered by the fact that that they can go to the ballot station and vote with their heart, for the person they truly think would do the best job. Instead we have millions who would rather not vote than vote for someone they don't believe in. In short, politics is no longer a choice between two candidates and we need a system that proportionally represents the wide range of views now on offer.
However, voting (or not voting) is really just the start. In the stone cold face of more cuts and even harsher austerity at the hands of a government many did not elect, we must look inwards. Now is the time to turn to our communities, the areas in which we live and work. Who are the most vulnerable people and how can we help them? This is activism and this is what is needed now.
Even if you would never in a million years consider yourself an activist, you might be surprised at how easy it is to become one.
Attend a demonstration and make your presence felt - activist. Speak to others who feel the same and talk about ways you can make your opinions heard at a governmental level - activist. Volunteer at your local homeless shelter or Crisis at Christmas - activist. Grow your own food and stop throwing money at supermarket food giants - activist. Give some of that food to someone who needs it - activist. Write to your local MP and put pressure on them to represent the people they serve - activist. Educate yourself about the corporations you buy from and stop giving them your money - activist. Shop locally and support local businesses - activist. Donate to your local food bank - activist. Show kindness, not judgement when you see people in need - activist.
We're at a point in history where we are coming together en masse, aided by technology, and are taking direct action; using our collective voice to say no, we don't want that. We're not going to take this anymore. The recent success of the #everybodyisready campaign is an encouraging example of this.
Last year I made a documentary featuring Jasmine Stone, a woman who continues to inspire me to this day, who's fierce direct action kept her and her family in their home. And who continues to fight on behalf of other families and communities like West Hendon.
Already 46,000 people have clicked attending on what is looking to be the biggest demonstration of the year against Tory cuts.
Imagine what would happen if all of those clicktivists became real life activists, not only marching together, sharing ideas and connecting communities, but also pledging to do one thing in our own communities that will make a difference to someones life.
The last time I marched in the belief I could make a difference was against Tony Blair's illegal war on Iraq. When the bombs dropped anyway, killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people, I wept. Defeated and deflated, I felt powerless. It wasn't until over 10 years later, as I sat watching 'We Are Many', a documentary about the anti-war march of 2003, the biggest protest in history and how it changed the world; that I realised the true power and influence our collective global actions can have.
Over 15 million people marched through the streets of 800 cities around the world in protest at the war, creating a global movement on a completely unprecedented scale; leaving an unexpected impact on the social and political landscape. Fifteen year-old me, at school in Sheffield at the time, had no idea what I'd been part of.
For anyone needing to reaffirm their belief in people power We Are Many is screening in 69 cinemas across the UK on May 21st.
On June 20th I will choose to believe once more as I take to the streets of London with thousands of like-minded people, demanding that we take care of the most vulnerable in our society, protect our public services for the good of the many, not for the profit of the few and that we value the most important resource we have; our planet.
Politics of fear and hate cannot survive long in the hearts of those who have love and hope. Do not let this election divide and conquer. Unite and survive.