On Wednesday this week, alongside hundreds of young people from across the country, we are travelling to London to lobby our local MPs to push for a People’s Vote.
As young people, we don’t want to see a Brexit deal which makes the country poorer or gives us fewer opportunities. We don’t think any MP could justify voting for any deal that does this to those living in their constituency.
It’s clear Parliament can come to no agreement, so we are lobbying our MPs to give this decision back to the people now that it is clearer what the future will look like. We’ve emailed, called, set up meetings and went to constituency surgeries. More of than not, students and young people get ignored. No more.
Just over the past week, let alone the past two years, it’s become clear that the Government is in chaos, and that Parliament is deadlocked. Worse than this, the Conservative party has just started on a navel-gazing journey of self-centred pointlessness - this confidence vote is counterproductive, to put it mildly.
There isn’t a viable alternative; a General Election or trying to renegotiate are not the answers right now - it’s patently clear that there is no better deal than the deal we have now.
Last week, nearly 80% of students who took part in a vote at Leeds University Union, voted to support a People’s Vote. Leeds students are lobbying Hilary Benn to ensure MPs give the public the final say over whether to keep on going with Brexit, so young people can have their voices heard about their futures.
And while Keir Starmer has been a voice of reason in the Labour party, urging them to deliver on the promise of their conference motion, his voice has not been heard broadly enough by the leadership. Their membership is crying out for Corbyn to deliver on their desires.
It’s why hundreds of young people from across the United Kingdom have descended on Parliament. Young people and students will be hit the hardest, for the longest by this botched Brexit deal.
We’ve been saying it for months - but many have been systematically ignored by MPs. With the indefinite delay of the Meaningful Vote in Parliament - MPs now know how it feels to lose their voice over something incredibly important to them.
The People’s Vote campaign - led by groups such as For our Future’s Sake and Our Future, Our Choice - has a sense of urgency and a growing momentum every single day. At this point, there is a sense of inevitability; MPs need to give the decision back to the people, to break the deadlock.
So we will be in Parliament, fighting for our futures. We’re clear in our demands, and honest in our approach.
We hope our MPs see that, and frankly - that they learn something as well.
Athian Akec is a student and activist with Our Future, Our Choice
Chris Morris is union affairs officer at Leeds University Union and supporter of For Our Future’s Sake