In the oh-so-recent political climate, several political controversies (namely that of MP's expenses, the tuition fee shambles, and the NHS debacle), have created a wave of apathy amongst the general public and, in particular, younger voters. This is not to specifically state that political apathy is the sole problem of the younger generations, but it is a nationwide pandemic that has been eating at the heart and soul of British politics for many generations. There are several reasons and explanations behind this tsunami of not-giving-a-shit, and most of these can be put down to crusty old politicians behaving and talking like dicks.
In a few, short weeks we have the opportunity of a generation. We can make real change in politics. Yes, we've been given a shit choice between two, let's be honest, crap electoral systems but it is an opportunity that we should grasp and wave in David Cameron's lying mutton chops. The Alternative Vote is not the best system, but it is insurmountably better than a politician being elected on less than 50% of the vote. But, who cares? The excitement that should be raised by this issue is non-existent. And why is this? Well, we've got the ever-charismatic Ed Milliband (who, I won't lie, I had semi-big hopes for when he got the Labour leadership) and cantankerous old git Vince Cable 'rallying' the #Yes2AV campaign. Who the hell is going to listen to these suit-wearing tossers? I certainly haven't been. They're boring. The result of this tedium is that the electoral turnout in this once-in-a-lifetime vote will be less than half of the population, and most of those will only have turned out to vote the local tosser Councilor out of office, barely noticing that there is a greater issue afoot.
Do we ever wonder why local elections get such a low voter turnout? The undeniable boredom of it all makes it almost impossible for anybody to want to connect.
There are, however, ways of making them vote. The Australian method of making it mandatory to vote is appealing if not popular. If it is your democratic right to vote, perhaps it is also your democratic right to not give a toss and stick to fingers up (or one finger, depending on your preference) to the "man". And, lets be honest, politics is full of knuckle-dragging, suit-wearing men. There is always the financial incentive. Perhaps a fiver off your council tax is the way to financially encourage people to care about which arsehole is lying about his manifesto. This would be popular with the average joe, but when has Government ever sought to do anything that is so obviously popular?
The third option is American. Not the American political system (which, while has its merits, is a political joke - others, I know, will disagree) but the enthusiasm. How did Obama get in to the White House while being hated by a vast number of Southern racist, pitchfork waving Neanderthals? By having charisma. By inspiring people. By not having a stone-faced posh person look. By being interested in basketball. By not looking like a twat while delivering a dismal 'good-luck' message to the England football team. The only way we will get people interested in politics again is if we suddenly have a vote on whether Hugh Grant, Colin Firth or Helen Mirren is to be proclaimed King/Queen of the Lager Louts, set in front of a live studio audience, with Mr High-Waistband Cowell himself compering proceedings. Where the hell is England's Schwarzenegger?
Perhaps the problem is, however, that politicians live in their own world where they get to accomplish what they want and grasp at the "power" that they crave that they simply have no interest in stirring up the emotions of the people that they, supposedly, serve. As long as nobody gives two figs, there is nobody to vote in Councilor Grant, or Prime Minister Caine.
Politics starts from the top down. It shouldn't. It does. Until somebody enthuses from the top, the bottom will drown in a sea of apathy.
