Operation missing vote

The UK general election is on Thursday, and with surprise polls showing the Tory lead narrowing to a slim margin, the trillion-dollar-bigger-than-any-deficit-question is: who are you going to vote for? The politicians and parties seeking election are all trying to persuade us that they- not the others- will make our lives better after June 8th. But who exactly are they trying to persuade?

Operation Black Vote have continued their successful 2015 campaign with public figures such as David Harewood, Tinie Tempah and Ade Adepitan photographed with their skin painted white with the words: “If you don’t register to vote and vote, you drain the colour from all of our British institutions.” This year Riz Ahmed and Jamal Edwards have supported the campaign which features short films to tackle the low rates of BME black and minority ethnic voters in comparison to white voters in Britain and also to inspire young people in all communities, to create change and get involved in their communities and society.

The work of the campaign is reminding a swathe of potential voters of the impact their vote can have. A recent reoccurring motif has been people saying they don’t relate to their politicians; they see them as distant figures not bothered by the electorates problems but occupied by infighting and point-scoring amongst themselves. The apathy that has gripped many voters with the turnout at the 2015 election at 66.1%, suggests a feeling of individuals disbelief that their vote will make a difference. For the controversial June 8th General Election, Operation Black Vote have found that 45 of the 50 most marginal seats have a minority ethnic population bigger than the majority of the winning party. There are many hotly contested seats in the UK that could be decided by BME voters. Indeed, in London, 5 of the constituencies with no Black, Asian or minority ethnic candidates, have a population of more than 50% BAME. BAME voters can hold MPs accountable to specific issues which might have been ignored as MPs desperately try and carry-favour with voters who traditionally have higher turn-out rates.

People are inspired, energised and engaged in this election to an extent that while relatively common place in the US has possibly not been seen in the UK before. Not only is Operation Black Vote mobilizing black and ethnic minority voters to make sure politicians are listening to their specific concerns for their communities but many young voters and public figures have been at the heart of the political conversation. The trending hashtag #Grime4Corbyn is described on Twitter as celebrating young people’s voices, and young musicians such as JME, Novelist, Akala and Stormzy have been vocal in their support for Jeremy Corbyn. Boy Better Know’s JME met with Jeremy Corbyn to talk about his policies and explain why so many young people don’t vote, directly bringing a generations feelings of mistrust in the establishment to a party leader. The #Grime4Corbyn campaign also released free tickets to a secret event of Grime artists, with registering to vote the only criteria to get on the list, as part of three events over the weekend. The phenomenal reach of young, talented Grime artists as spokespersons for a large number of young people who have never felt that voting would make a difference, is important for our political discourse as it draws together worlds which people see as dissimilar but live together.

Grime artists are creating cutting edge music whose influence has spread across the world and their engagement proposes a bright future for young and often BME voters. Artists such as JME and Stormzy are creative leaders who are looked up to and respected and care about the changes they see in their communities. The amusing video that puts Jeremy Corbyn face on Stormzy music video is good natured fun but also expresses the socially aware and political nature of Grime that comments on the world and society and around it; and the artists’s comments about Corbyn and ethnic minorities show his political engagement.

This almost grass roots movement is part of the drive that Operation Black Vote is creating, that is reminding large portions of the electorate how powerful their voices are. Politics is not separate from us, it decides how, where and even for how long we live, it sets the parameters of the civic society we all live in. Operation Black Vote and young artists are saying loudly, that it is impossible today, -as Britain heads into a new post-Brexit future and politicians decide which and how many government services we can expect to depend on- to not stand up and have a voice. Communities are all facing a brave new world, and it is political art forms, campaigns and debates that illuminate the ideological clashes happening today in the UK and inspire people to vote. Communities need to go forward on June 8th to have their say to make sure, in the words of Operation Black Vote they are properly “represented in Parliament or in any corridors of power”.