Not getting young people to vote is part of the Tory election strategy – we have to do something about it

Young people don’t vote. It’s not a breaking news story; it’s a well established pattern in elections. In 2010, barely four in ten under-25s turned out to cast their vote. Bad news for democracy. For Labour, it’s much worse news. According to Lord Ashcroft’s latest poll, Labour have an 11-point lead over the next nearest party, the Tories, among young people. The Lib Dems don’t even get to 11% (seven, right now).

Bite the Ballot reported recently that many people of school age didn’t even realise they would have to register in order to vote. More concerning given the government’s move to stop automatic registration.

But there’s some 90 odd days to go until the election (odd being the key word). People can register themselves to vote up until April 20.

The problem faced is that the political system won’t take serious notice of issues facing young people, because we’re unlikely to vote for them. Unlikely to vote for anyone. You might Tweet them, but that doesn’t count yet. Nor does following their Spotify playlist.

There’ll be one blinding contradiction in this circus of an election, though: they’ll do anything to look in touch with The Youth. We can expect a myriad of publicity stunts and gimmicks designed to make politicians of all shades look cool and hip before then. Wearing baseball caps is just the beginning: they’ve discovered the internet, now.

Expect Nigel Farage whipping out his selfie stick at the Thanet Rotary Dinner, Ed Miliband doing Gangnam Style down the beaches of Lowerstoft and Nick Clegg drunk Vine-ing his Beyonce set at Hallam SU. David Cameron will refuse to join in the soon-to-be assembled #Holler4Harlow Snapchat sensation, unless Natalie Bennett’s great aunty Janice is also added to the convo. And the SNP will officially measure support for independence by Alex Salmond’s Tinder matches.

There is a way to stop this dystopian future. Young people, when it comes to deciding our representatives, go quiet. Meanwhile your gran is voting like there’s no tomorrow. That’s why she’s having her TV license protected and her free bus pass extended to Alacante. She’s got Alan Titchmarsh writing columns about not liking taxes or migrants or people too young to remember Charlie Dimmock.

It’s why young people now have to spend 20 years in education, only to leave with £40k of debt and a six-month unpaid internship at Lidl.

It’s not an accident, it’s the system. And changing it involves voting. As Labour people, Labour-ites, #TeamLabour, #EM4PM-ers – whatever cringe-worthy identity we’re categorising ourselves as, cos, honestly, politicos are normal people – we need to be unashamed in making the case, not just for Labour, but for politics.

Today is National Voter Registration Day (there’s a hashtag for that, obviously, it’s #TakePower) and it aims to change the status quo: the fact that, at the last general election, over-65s were almost twice as likely to vote as under-25s.

That’s why Labour MPs Lisa Nandy and Ivan Lewis have launched #ShapeYourFuture to get young people right across the country to contribute their ideas. It ought not to be note worthy, but it’s exactly what will get people registering to make their voices heard: listening to them. If only all the parties made the same effort.

David Cameron’s #AskTheLeaders mess, and voter registration changes, show us the dangerous truth: not getting young people to vote is part of their election strategy. It’s not an accident.

Young people often vote Labour, that’s why the Tories will do their utmost to disenfranchise us. That’s why we should all get in board today – to Tweet, Tumble, Snapchat and, if you’re a Google employee, Google+ – to get registered. Share this blog, and share how to register with every friend you can. To stop the Tories.