I've just watched a documentary on BBC3 with my housemates about politics, which I suggested watching to them with the intent of getting Jamie interested in voting.
Key Points
3/4 of under 25's aren't interested in voting, and most trust estate agents more than politicians. Politicians say they're going to do one thing and do the other and don't represent the people. They're all posh and rich.
Football, Clothes, Trainers and X Factor were listed as more important than politics, yet people are happy to vote on Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor etc etc.
People used the Scottish referendum as an opportunity to show that they weren't happy with how things were and that they saw politics as the solution. Young people felt that their voice mattered when they voted for something that directly affected their lives.
All major parties are seen as the same, happy to do everything for everyone. Once you're elected there's no obligation to fulfil your promises, people don't vote because they see no reason to trust what the politicians say. Example shown was making no cuts to the fire service. Political speech is used to deceive the public.
Nick Clegg saying he wasn't going to rise university fees is a large reason why young people feel bitter against politicians after he went back on his "personal pledge" to students, which many see as something he only said to win favour for the election.
Rather than explaining their breaking of promises they tend to point out that other parties are just as bad if not worse than them.
If you can donate £50,000 to donate to the Conservative Party you are guaranteed dinner with David Cameron, which is seen as a way to influence policies, which makes politics elitist. Last year the 3 main parties earned £43,000,000, despite many people not being interested in politics.
At the last Tory party ball, the attendees were worth £11 billion, and £5 million was raised that night. Peter Stringfollow, a Tory party donator accepts that political donations buy influence.
2 Thirds of Labours £12 million funds last year came from Trade Unions. A representative of Unite said their money was the cleanest in the political arena, hardly justifies their input. He said that he had some influence to get Ed Miliband to stand for party leadership.
Zac Goldsmith, Conservative MP "Every party has their own little pie that they're protecting, which is why they never come together."
People think that Politics is more than just what goes on inside Westminster, and they don't think the MP's appreciate that, which is reflected in Russell Brand's recent popularity, arguing that political activism is more efficient than voting to get change.
People are being "socially cleansed out of London" as the elitism of Westminster is spreading to London in general.
When young people don't vote mean that the politicians don't need to listen them because they're not going to win any votes from them, which means that things then get worse for young people, and it becomes a vicious circle.
It's not against the law for an MP to deliberately and knowingly lie to Parliament. UKIP and Nigel Farage are aware that some of their politicians have lied about their histories of racism.
Politicians defend their ability to lie because they feel that getting rid of it would damage parliamentary privilege and make parliament more timid, which would make parliament less effective.
Gordon Brown's ex spin-doctor has spoke about how lying was an art that could be mastered so that you could lie without lying.
£50,000 Can get you dinner with David Cameron, but 100,000 signatures to stop politicians lying in parliament can't even get him to shake your hand.
Conclusion
I had no idea that the amount of money involved on British politics was so high, and wasn't aware about how big the gulf between the regular person and the politician was. It was very eye-opening.
It shows that whilst activism can and does make a difference, the whole idea of not exercising your political rights by voting undermines activism itself, as if you're not willing to use your political and democratic rights, why should politics cater for you and listen to what you have to say, be you an individual or a group of people.
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