“Show me a young Conservative and I’ll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old Liberal and I’ll show you someone with no brains.”
I have met my fair share of people who declare that they simply have no interest in politics. These are the same people who will then happily debate about political issues for hours. I believe we should all take an active interest in politics, and if you currently avoid it, I will tell you why now is the perfect time to begin.
Since 2008 we have experienced one of the worst recessions in history. This has resulted in huge job losses, painful budget cuts and has changed the political landscape as we knew it. After 13 years of New Labour, we ended up with a bizarre coalition between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Can you argue this is not an amazing time for politics? In the past few years we have seen unpopular decisions such as lifting the cap on tuition fees and public sector budget cuts. Decisions such as these have ignited such passion in people that they have taken to the streets.
Another reason why this is a great time to care about politics is how accessible it is. Social media has made many changes, one of which means that we are now closer to politicians than ever. Public figures take to Twitter to discuss issues and interact with their people. There is no longer a need to search out politics, it now comes to you.
If you make it to university without taking an interest in politics, it is the perfect environment to develop an interest. Meeting hundreds of new peoples, understanding new ideas and greeting new experiences, all of these allow you to get a great grasp of your own beliefs and give you the opportunity to identify these to a political party.
Political beliefs can be private or public, personally I choose to share mine with the ballot box and few else. Other people share their views with the world, what is important is having political beliefs, there is nothing more damaging than complete apathy.
Political beliefs are also prone to change, we change in our lives and so do our opinions, priorities and who we want to represent us.
I love following and understanding politics, from its history, to predicting how its future is shaped. I know this is not the same for everyone but I would urge people who have not previously, now is the time to take an interest in politics.
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- Forget ‘Local’ – Now, All Politics Are Social [INFOGRAPHIC] (mashable.com)
- Politics vs Ethics (onlyagame.typepad.com)
- So, you think reason guides your politics? Think again | Simon Jenkins (guardian.co.uk)
- Why I’m spending my time on the frontline not the front bench (mirror.co.uk)
