Opinion: I Couldn’t Find The Party in Party Politics

Published on: 9 Dec, 2019
Updated on: 11 Dec, 2019

Bethany Dawson

By Bethany Dawson

This article, edited by The Guildford Dragon NEWS, is taken, with kind permission, from the University of Surrey’s student Incite magazine where it was first published.

For a student to enter political spheres with little knowledge of politics, falling into the party system is an easy, and comfortable option. For someone who aggressively opposes austerity cuts, who loves the NHS and who sees education as a right, it made sense to support the Labour Party. I did so with fervour and passion, door-knocking in the pouring rain, wearing my red rosette with pride.

I tried to ignore the ways Brexit was seeping through party lines, maintaining my own views and reading as much as possible to stay informed. Being someone who enjoys keeping up-to-date on news, I couldn’t ignore the developing partisan dimension of Brexit for long.

With the Conservatives taking their stark “over my dead-in-a-ditch body” approach, the Liberal Democrats seemingly failing to recognise any other facet of politics aside from Brexit, and Labour, or rather, Corbyn embodying Hamlet-esque tactics of inaction, I gave up my partisan identity.

The abandonment of my rosette and leaflet stack led to many feelings, chief among which were ideological loss and being out of place in student political culture.

Student politics is intensely divisive, with red, blue, and yellow societies forcing you to pick a side. I don’t agree with any party approach to Brexit.

As a Jew, I feel nervous about anti-Semitism in the Labour party, with my grandparents among the 47% of British Jews who would consider emigrating if Corbyn becomes prime minister.

I would not vote for the Conservatives, based upon their abhorrent treatment of people under the banner of austerity.

With the Liberal Democrats accepting countless people into their party, including those with horrible treatment of the LGBTQ+ community, such as Sam Gymiah who filibustered the Alan Turing Act, that seems a grab for power without the consideration of the constituents they’re trying to represent.

Simply, there’s not a brightly coloured rosette I want to wear this election season.

The 2019 General Election is among the most overwhelmingly hectic political times in British history so to not have a partisan view is complicated.

At university, Guildford is a Conservative stronghold with a now Independent MP, Anne Milton. I feel it’s likely Guildford will remain a Conservative seat.

My home seat of Camberwell and Peckham is a Labour stronghold and has been since 1945, so I can’t see much dramatic change there. This makes not knowing which candidate’s ballot box will be marked by my cross a little easier, because it’s unlikely my single vote will change the outcome in either of my constituencies.

On the other hand, there’s no passionate grab for the good of my constituency to pull me over a party line.

Being a politics student at this time in history is strange. I filed my UCAS application with the intention of learning about the intricacies of politics, and I thought I’d hold my degree certificate representing my unshakable knowledge of politics with pride.

In reality, I feel I know less than when I started. A significant portion of that comes with the avoidance of eye contact and a shoulder shrug when someone asks me who I’m voting for. I thought knowledge would be intrinsic to a politics student, so lacking such direction initially made me feel, well, stupid.

Having said all this, I’ll conclude with a few other main points.

First, you’re not stupid if you’re unclear about any aspect of this year’s General Election, who you’re voting for or the procedure. It’s gigantically complicated and confusion is expected.

Second, if you do feel such confusion, don’t give up. Politics is stressful and confusing, but it’s also incredibly exciting and dynamic. Giving up on making your own political decisions and finding who you should vote for only means you’re missing out on your chance to influence the outcome of this vote.

And third: vote. For whoever, whatever your reasons, take the opportunity, cast your vote.

My disillusionment with party politics developed because I felt as though parties and politicians were searching for a grab for the most powerful seat in the country for their own benefit, not for the good of their constituents.

Of course, this is far from new, but Brexit simply intensified it. I will be voting on December 12, I’m just not quite sure for whom.

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