An interview with Ruth- Simone Lee, from The Black Policy Institute
The 2024 UK general election is upon us: it takes place on the 4th of July. As manifestos have been released and television debates are in our midst, the question remains: what does X party offer to young people? [Young voters are generally classed as British citizens between 18 and 24].
The Conservative Party manifesto includes a proposal for national service, a policy largely unpopular among young voters, as evidenced by a 2023 YouGov poll on public opinion of national service and community service. More positively the Green Party, Liberal Democrats and Labour Party all pledge to lower the voting age to 16 in their manifestos. Despite these efforts, there is still a high proportion of young voters who feel apathetic towards politics, with research from Focaldata revealing that only 24% of young voters had a voting intention and wouldn’t change their mind about it.
Despite the general apathy among young voters, ‘My Life, My Say’, a “youth-led, non-partisan movement on a mission to encourage young people to participate in democracy” launched their ‘Give an X’ campaign in early April, initially to encourage young people to register to vote and participate in the local elections which took place in the UK in May.
They used public figures, such as ex-Love Islander and political activist Sharon Gaffka, to attract young voters. The campaign yielded impressive results: on the 16th of April, National Voter Registration Day, 151,373 people registered to vote and more than 113,000 of these applicants came from those under 35.‘My Life, My Say’ is currently trying to replicate its previous success for the general election. This time, with a partnership with Ben and Jerry’s, a popular ice cream brand among young people, they’ve advertised pop-up stands in cities like Birmingham, where young people can attend and discuss the election while enjoying free ice cream. Another strategy to engage young voters is its partnership with Snapchat UK, offering custom filters, lenses, and stickers. This approach might have proved effective once again, as on the 19th of June, a record-breaking 632,863 people registered to vote in 24 hours.
A high number of young voters may be feeling apathetic towards politics, but it’s important to also dissect this into demographics. In 2021, a report found that 14% of people of Indian heritage, 39% of EU migrants and 25% of Black African minorities were not registered to vote in the UK. The Black Policy Institute is aiming to change that last statistic. In 2021, the chair of The Black Policy Institute’s Young People Advisory Group, Nadjah Osman, wrote an article for The House saying, “We need contextualised policies that move away from the one-size-fits-all approach… the Covid-19 pandemic has shone a light on society’s ills, and revealed that Black people have no, or little, agency”. Osman stressed: “If we are not in the room when policies are being developed, how can they speak for our needs?”. To discuss more about the work of The Black Policy Institute and young voter apathy, I interviewed Ruth-Simone Lee, who’s part of the Young People’s Advisory Board and the Legal and Governance Team of the Black Policy Institute.
“The Black Policy Institute it’s a think tank. – said Ruth-Simone – We are based in the UK, but we have a global reach; we work with people in the U.S.A., in Africa and as far as we can go. We’re focused on advancing racial equality and building an inclusive environment for minority groups and the black community to grow.” She further explained: “We do this by serving the community by working with governments, local communities, grassroots initiatives and trying to break down the barriers faced by young people.”
Ruth, legal and governance advisor for the Black Policy Institute and also a member of the Youth Advisory Board decided to join The Black Policy Institute because of her degree in Law with Government Politics. “It’s always been an interest of mine. In secondary school, I ran for the Young Mayor of Lewisham. This meant I had to go around my borough and explain why I wanted to be the young mayor there. From that, I was elected to become a youth representative for my borough, so I went to parliament, engaged in meetings, spoke to shareholders and politicians about what matters for young people and why we wanted a voice.”
From a young age, Ruth became aware of unconscious biases against people from minority ethnic backgrounds. She explained how she saw “boys getting kicked out of school, taken out of mainstream education… never achieving their GCSEs.” Witnessing these injustices fueled her determination to be part of the change: “There needed to be somebody there to help solve this problem and nobody, even today, seems to be doing much about it.” She continued, “The Black Policy Institute, for me, was one of the first initiatives I’ve worked with that allowed me to have the conversation about what’s happening with social inequalities and why young people need to be involved.”
Ruth-Simone Lee explained that The Black Policy Institute was founded in 2020, with the Youth People’s Advisory Board established about six months later. “We’re all about empowering young people, giving them a platform to express their opinions, concerns, and ideas. We want to provide a place where they feel represented, where people look like them, and where they can truly be themselves. We’ve conducted many workshops on how to engage people in volunteering, voting, and school activities.”
“I worked with an initiative called Volunteer Matters – continues Ruth – to address healthcare inequalities among Black and Brown men in the UK. We aim to spread awareness and create spaces for young people to get involved, participate in initiatives, and grow their careers while also giving back to their communities.”
The Black Policy Institute held an event called the ‘Black Voter Engagement Workshop’ to encourage more young Black people to vote and engage in politics. Ruth explained that they decided to hold this event because they noticed “an issue with young people not turning up to vote in elections.” They wanted to “address and dismantle the statistics around voter engagement and show young people and others who are disengaged from voting that without this process, nothing will change.”
Ruth told me she believes there is a significant issue with political apathy in the UK, and globally, in 2024. “There is a lack of representation for young people. There aren’t many young MPs. Having more young MPs would be great because then you can see someone and think, ‘This person understands what I’m going through.’ There’s also a lack of Black MPs.”
She elaborated on why she thinks political apathy is prevalent among young voters: “There’s a distrust. Young people feel like they can’t trust these politicians because they tell them something or they vote one way and it goes another way, or they say, ‘We’re going to do this for you’ and it never gets done exactly how it’s supposed to.” This leads young people to question, “Does voting work? Does the political system work?”
Ruth also highlighted practical issues that hinder young people from voting, such as fitting it around work shifts and caring responsibilities. “It’s not as well-organized as it could be. You’ve got to consider every aspect of society and make sure everyone is included in these processes because those are the people who shape what you’re supposed to be doing for the country,” she explained.
Ruth-Simone Lee also believes that young voters struggle with feelings of powerlessness and a lack of political education. She suggested that the introduction of mandatory politics classes in secondary education could help address this issue. “A lot of young people get their political news from social media, which can turn into an echo chamber where you’re only getting a certain type of information based on what you engage with, and the algorithm reinforces this. You’re not presented with both sides of the argument,” she explained. Ruth emphasized that “research and further research need to be encouraged more, rather than just taking what social media presents at face value.”
“Education in politics is so important as it controls every aspect of your life. Whether you like it or not: it’s always going to be there, and you have to have some awareness of it, so you’re educated and can make more rational decisions as a result of that”, continued Ruth.
Ruth told me she’s had some frustrating conversations with her friends about politics, urging them to pay attention, only to hear responses like “no one’s going to listen to us” and “it’s not going to make a difference, why do you care so much?” Ruth said, “I know that right now, politics isn’t all pretty flowers and daisies, but someone has to reform it, and if nobody’s willing to go that extra mile, it’s always going to look like this. That’s what I tell people: if you don’t want to be there to make that change, then who’s going to do it? Be the change you want to see in the world, as everybody loves to say. This is why I’m considering pursuing politics on the side. I want more politicians to look like me, and I want more young people to think, ‘She grew up in South East London, and look at her: she’s gone that extra mile just for us.’”
Another reason for political apathy among young people, according to Ruth, is the lack of representation. “When you see adverts, political campaigns, and politicians, you don’t see a lot of women. You don’t see a lot of people of colour,” she explained. This lack of representation, she believes, makes young people feel disconnected from politics. “They must feel like, ‘Why am I voting if it’s not going to make a difference or if politicians don’t represent my interests or care about what they are.’”
There is a disparity in voter participation between black and white voters in the UK that stems from the greater representation of white individuals, including MPs in the Houses of Parliament. “Systemic barriers are lower for white individuals compared to their black counterparts – continued Ruth – with more doors opening for them while black communities face greater challenges accessing opportunities they may not be aware of. I think it’s also about where you grew up. It’s unfortunate that black communities often reside in more impoverished areas with fewer resources and funding, which increases the likelihood of unfavourable outcomes. We need to give everyone an equal playing field.”
There is a gender difference in political apathy and voting behaviour. Ruth noted that women are more inclined to engage in grassroots activism, community organization, and social movements compared to men. “Men may feel more inclined to vote, whereas women may feel that getting involved in politics through other impactful means is more effective than voting itself,” she explained. Ruth also highlighted the sparse political representation of women compared to men. “There are many male politicians, but not as many female ones. We’ve only had two female prime ministers,” she added.
When I asked Ruth-Simone Lee about the issues that most concern young voters, she pointed out several key areas. “Climate change and the environment are significant,” she said. “Social justice, including issues like police brutality, discrimination, and LGBTQ+ rights, are also important.” Ruth-Simone also highlighted concerns about education affordability, student debt, and job opportunities as critical issues that resonate with many young people.
Different genders may prioritize certain political issues over others. She suggested, “Women may feel more inclined to prioritize healthcare, education, and social welfare, while men may lean towards national security and economic issues. I believe these tendencies exist.”
She continued, reflecting on gender dynamics in politics, “For women, I think it’s more challenging to engage without encountering discrimination or stereotypes. Women had to fight for the right to vote, whereas men always had it. Initially, men were granted the vote because they were seen as competent, while women were often viewed as irrational. It’s now the 21st century and I think gender is still a contributing factor and it adds to how people vote and how things play out in the political field.”
When asked what political parties could do to engage more young voters, Ruth Simone-Lee emphasized several key strategies. She suggested leveraging social media content to reach younger demographics effectively. Additionally, she advocated for greater engagement with issues that resonate with young people, such as climate change.
Ruth also highlighted the importance of accessibility in the voting process. “Making it more convenient for people to vote, extending polling hours, and allowing more time for voter registration, especially for those who are caregivers or have demanding work schedules,” she recommended.
Furthermore, Ruth proposed creating more youth-oriented events, forums, and spaces where young people can actively participate in the political process and feel represented. These initiatives, she believes, would help to foster greater engagement and inclusion among young voters.
When I asked Ruth what she thought political parties and politicians could do to encourage more young black people to vote she said, “ensuring young black people feel they are being represented and heard within political parties and organisations. Even recruiting and supporting black candidates for elected office and leadership positions. By demonstrating commitment to diversity and inclusion a lot of young black people will feel like this is something they can finally get involved with. Furthermore, by addressing systemic inequalities in their manifestos by advocating for policies and initiatives that champion young black people and help solve issues that they face.”
When discussing the voting age in the UK, Ruth Simone-Lee expressed support for lowering it, yet emphasized the importance of addressing political apathy among young people beforehand. She remarked, “At 16 you can make a baby but you can’t vote. It’s crazy. I think it would do a great job for the political landscape, it would shift it a lot because you’d have a whole new demographic with different priorities and different perspectives coming in.”
Ruth believed that lowering the voting age to 16 would significantly change how older generations perceive and respect younger generations. She expressed frustration with the current attitude that older people might dismiss younger individuals, assuming they lack wisdom or life experience. She emphasized “One of us can’t do it, but as a community, if we all came together and say “we’re not standing for this anymore”, I promise, it will have an impact, but it’s all about how much we’re willing to put into this. If you want, if you’re ready to make the effort: a lot of things can change. But if you’re just going to sit back and watch politics run by itself, it doesn’t work.”
Ruth’s advice for young people heading to the polling station this year: “Don’t rely on social media to educate yourself on political issues. Read the manifestos. Write to MPs, campaign, lobby MPs… these are all ways to get involved politically. Just research and read. Google’s there for a reason: use it and utilize the resources have. Look out for grassroots initiatives too, like the Black Policy Institute.
And like I always say to my friends: “Be bold. Be courageous. Be the change you want to see in the world.”
