…the sudden announcement of a UK General Election by the Prime Minister just over a week ago brought the concept of democracy and the right to vote into sharp relief. I remember at the start of this academic year warning the sixth form they needed to their ears and eyes open during this hugely important twelve months or so when roughly half of the global population was going to be voting. That was then though. This is now - as over 50 million in Britain, 700 million in India, 250 million in the states, 50 million in South Africa all get ready to cast their ballot or put a cross in a box. Add to that list Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia and the European Union. Lots of our Year 13 students will be able to take part in an election for the very first time, and the customary BWS election hustings is now scheduled for 25 June in the Sports Hall.
I think that it’s going to seem a long campaign; we’re only a week in and the party leaders are already ensuring blanket coverage on terrestrial media and saturation of social media. Politics programmes are appearing like mushrooms overnight as podcasts, video blogs and debates. I am sure that there will be plenty of twists and u turns to come, as promises trotted out on morning news media then melt away as the summer sun rises higher above the horizon. Fakes will be there too, and together these could lead to cynicism and apathy particularly among the lower echelons of the population pyramid; we all have a role to fight that. Whichever way your vote goes it remains so important to exercise your democratic muscles.
The late Tony Benn said that there were five questions to those in power, as follows - “What power have you got? “Where did you get it from?” “In whose interests do you exercise it?” “To whom are you accountable?” and “How can we get rid of you?” Look at the list of countries going to polls listed above and try out those questions. The answers are tricky in some cases to say the least and that demonstrates why it’s so important that BWS students have the chance to engage - and vote if they are able, no matter which way their political wind is blowing…
