Mariam Inayat Waseem is a trustee and director of the British Youth Council. She joined Oldham Youth Council in 2011 and soon after was elected a member of the UK Youth Parliament. Mariam is currently studying Government and European Studies with Spanish at Newcastle University, and she has been invited to represent young people’s views on various issues at the European Parliament and the Council of Europe.
“…the British Youth Council is urging young people across the country to register to vote as soon as possible to ensure they can directly influence the future of their country and be a part of the democratic process…”
Discovering a passion for politics: Getting involved with the British Youth Council
My initial engagement in democratic participation began six years ago when I joined the Oldham Youth Council. Shortly after, I was elected a member of UK Youth Parliament and had the chance to debate and speak in the House of Commons. I was inspired by the work of the British Youth Council, as it was the first time I was given a platform to influence decision-making.
In 2014, I decided to stand as a trustee on the board of the British Youth Council and I am currently on my third year on the board. I was keen to learn more about youth participation across the globe and to date, I have attended 14 international youth conferences in an effort to ensure young people’s views are on the political agenda.
Last year, I worked with the Council of Europe on a toolkit to foster inter-religious dialogue in local communities across Europe. In addition, I have represented the views of young Muslims by speaking on the Government’s ‘Prevent’ agenda and radicalisation in Europe.
About the British Youth Council
The British Youth Council is the national youth council of the UK. We aim to empower young people to influence decisions that affect their lives. The charity is youth-led, to reflect our membership. We have several programmes that encourage young people aged 25 and under to engage in democracy locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
We have hundreds of member organisations consisting of volunteers, campaigners and change-makers. Our ethos is to inspire young people to make a difference in the world, regardless of the barriers they may face. Some of our programmes include the UK Youth Parliament, the national Youth Select committee and the UK Young Ambassadors.
My role as a trustee and director
As a trustee for the charity, I am one of 13 young people that make up our board. We are responsible for guiding the strategic direction of the charity. The main role of trustee involves the governance of the charity, and this comes with legal responsibility.
As young trustees of the organisation, we are also ambassadors of the organisation and our role involves representing the British Youth Council on various platforms. Attending events with members is the most enjoyable part, since we are able to see first hand the positive impact our programmes have on young peoples’ lives.
Turnout rates for young voters in the UK at the last general election and in the referendum
According to the Ipsos MORI, 43% of young people aged 18-24, turned out to vote in the 2015 general election. Last year’s EU Referendum saw 60% of eligible 18-24 year olds head to the ballot box and cast their vote. These figures are lower than the national average and trends show young people are the demographic least likely to vote. The referendum youth turnout was considerably higher than usual, which indicates young people felt like they had more of a stake in the outcome of the EU Referendum.
The importance of driving up turnout amongst young people
For the last general election, The British Youth Council debated and voted to select key issues for their youth manifesto. Political parties pledged to support the issues within the manifesto, which includes improving mental health provision, saving youth services and creating a real living wage for everyone. As these continue to be important issues for young people, our manifesto is a reminder to political parties on the issues young people want to see addressed.
We will also work with the Government and the Electoral Commission to discuss ways to increase voter registration and turnout for the general election, as we have done in past elections. In the meantime, the British Youth Council is urging young people across the country to register to vote as soon as possible to ensure they can directly influence the future of their country and be a part of the democratic process.
Lowering the voting age to engage and empower young people
Currently, Austria is the only EU member state to have implemented votes at 16. Here, turnout for 16 and 17 year olds is roughly the same as the national average at 70-80%.
The Scottish Referendum also saw a lower voting age implemented, with a turnout of 84.5% of 16 and 17 year olds voting. This is a huge indication that when political debates are made accessible to young people and they are involved in the conversation, they are more likely to exercise their democratic right.
Currently, over 1.5 million 16 and 17 year olds are denied the right to vote in the UK. Some of these young people are paying taxes to fund a government they can’t vote for. Lowering the voting age is vital to ensure our government is accountable and representative to the majority of citizens within the UK.
A lower voting age would also empower young people, through their democratic right, to influence democracy. Arguably, it is a way to engage young people in decision-making at an earlier age, which will positively impact their voter behaviour. Brexit was a huge decision about the future of our country, yet the young people it will impact the most were not afforded the right to vote. The British Youth Council supports and welcomes votes at 16, so that all young people are given the right to have a say.
You decide
It’s important to acknowledge that whatever changes are being implemented now, they will affect our generation – young people – more than they will ever affect the politicians implementing them. So, we should exercise our right to vote with the goal of having a government that best represents our views.
Even as a politics student, I am disheartened by the debate and political discourse around elections since it is not accessible for young people and often, the issues we care about are not on the agenda. Despite this, it is important to take it upon ourselves to research which party is best suited to our views. It is rare that any one party could reflect your political stance perfectly, but that is the nature of party politics.
We live in a digital age, where one search engine can provide us with all the information we require. There are also websites that quiz you around areas like the economy and social issues, and then assign you with a party most linked to your views. It is easy now more than ever to be an informed and engaged young citizen.
Fundamentally, it comes down to exercising your right and going to the polling station on June 8th, especially since the next Parliament will be shaping a post-Brexit Britain, so our views and opinions must be represented.
Coming up next for me and the British Youth Council
The British Youth Council recently co-signed an open letter to all political parties, calling on all party leaders to make a commitment to represent young people’s demands in their upcoming manifestos. We want to see a general election campaign where politicians talk to us, not about us.
I will be involved in the British Youth Council’s League of Young Voters campaign in the run-up to the general election, and hope to register young people on my university campus and beyond. I will also be continuing my role on the board and working with the British Youth Council to ensure we are doing all we can to reach our networks and aim to get the highest youth turnout possible.
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