When it’s not being zapped by the ideological taser of populism, politics can be an incredible force for good. When I spoke in the House of Commons calling for politicians to push lazy rhetoric aside and instead to focus on the root causes of knife crime, it gave me, an inner city comprehensive educated kid, a voice.
A voice for my friends, my neighbours, my fellow children of austerity, whose lives have been crudely shaped by political games. A voice for my community, who have lived so long without one.
As Camden’s youth MP, I see the cruelty of austerity Britain every day. The poverty, the knife crime, the homelessness. And Brexit will make things so much worse. Parliament, much like my fellow 16 year-olds sitting GCSEs, is being tested to breaking point. It’s not even complicated maths proofs they’re straining over – it’s resisting the populist nightmare of Brexit. With their failure to do so, a failure reeking of political cowardice, politicians are playing an egg and spoon race with my generation’s future.
As threats of no-deal loom large, the leader of the opposition experiments with enabling ultra destructive post Brexit immigration bills and businesses react to uncertainty, I fear Brexit will be the continuation of a 20 year long trend of politics destroying lives.
In the Brexit debate the power rests with stale outdated voices. It’s ironic that those who speak the most ill of immigration have not grown up in areas enriched by immigrants. Perverse, outdated and ill informed perceptions are now dictating government policy.
When Britain’s economy feels the Brexit bite right wing voices calling for free market deregulation will grow. Xenophobia will be furthered by heightened regional inequality. The futures of my generation will have been rammed through a political shredder.
Will five tests stop Brexit giving future governments the power to rip up human rights legislation? No. Will 5 tests stop Brexit lengthening the nightmare of austerity? I think not. Will 5 tests stop Brexit adding fuel to the raging fire of populism? No chance. No 5 tests will secure my generation’s future. It’s an insult to us to sell it as though they do.
In the back of my year 11 classroom, new political anxiety is brewing. Brexit has become a regular topic of 9:00 AM sleep-deprived political conversation. Our words are not just bouncing off the comprehensive walls. They’re starting to resonate in Westminster. My local MP, Keir Starmer, is starting to listen to young people like me by paving the path for a people’s vote.
The stereotypes of vapid liberal Remainers are simply not true. One late evening in September, following a spate of tragic stabbings, I introduced Keir Starmer where he outlined a sharp structural approach to tackling knife crime. I began to see a picture of politicians like him riding the political tide of young people like me.
Progressive, passionate and principled politicians are out there. To them I say now is the time for courage. When my generation can tackle the real issues of our time – climate change, destructive global inequality and the rise of automation – we will thank them for letting us get on with improving the world.