Shape Your Future

Ed Miliband’s decision to put young people at the heart of Labour’s election campaign is an exciting moment for them and the many parents and grandparents who worry about prospects for their children and grandchildren. At Friday’s young voter campaign launch in Sheffield he made it clear that offering young people a new sense of hope about a fairer future is one of Labour’s top priorities.

As part of reaching out to 16 to 35 year olds, sometimes known as Generation Y, not as some reports suggested simply “youth”, we will produce a distinct young people’s election manifesto. It will offer radical change on jobs, pay, education, the NHS, immigration, housing, and global issues such as climate change, development and human rights. These are the issues young people tell us matter to them the most. But this change also means that an incoming Labour Government will give young people new powers to hold us to account for the promises we make.

It is fitting that this commitment was made at Sheffield Hallam University, which is located next door to Nick Clegg’s constituency. For many young people, the Lib Dem tuition fee betrayal is the most powerful symbol of their cynicism about Westminster politicians and politics.

The launch also focused attention on the scandal of the “missing million”, mainly young people who have dropped off the electoral register in the past twelve months. Ed made it clear that we will work with excellent organisations such as Bite the Ballot and the British Youth Council’s League of young voters, to mobilise young people to register. We will also demand the Government, Electoral Commission, universities and local councils take urgent action before it is too late.

The first stage of our campaign, #ShapeYourFuture is giving young people across the country the chance to influence our manifesto and strengthen our offer. They can complete our 4 minute survey online by logging on to the Share your Future website, or tweet to @YoungLabourUK using #ShapeYourFuture. The closing date is 16th February.

Our existing offer has been drawn up having listened to young people over the past four years. The jobs guarantee and training allowance to help young unemployed people, new gold standard apprenticeships, an increased minimum wage and support for the living wage, increasing access to affordable homes to rent and buy through a new house building programme, an NHS run for people not profit which gives a new priority to mental health and an enhanced childcare offer are just some examples. On tuition fees, to quote Ed’s words, “watch this space”. This is a good start but there are policy issues we may have missed or where fresh ideas could make a big difference.

My ask of every LabourList reader is:

1 Please tweet to @YoungLabourUK using #ShapeYourFuture with your own comments.

2 Ask 10 of your friends aged under 35 who are not involved in politics to complete the 4 minute survey.

3 Promote details of the survey to all your Facebook and Twitter followers.

4 Encourage your Labour candidate or MP to work with you to ensure young people in your constituency take part in #ShapeYourFuture. Why not make a constituency submission?

5 Email me on [email protected] with ideas about what we can do to reach young people now and once the manifesto is published.

Offering new hope through radical change, then keeping our promises and governing with greater accountability and participation is the most powerful way to defeat our opponents, left and right.

Our mission should be to use this campaign to begin building a new movement of young people who believe Labour will support them to get on in life and are inspired by our vision of a fairer, more equal society. I am excited to have lead responsibility for this campaign working with Lisa Nandy and Jan Royall. But each and every one of you can be a leader in helping us to take #ShapeYourFuture and then our manifesto to young people from all backgrounds who are yet to feel part of our movement.

Ivan Lewis is MP for Bury South, and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland