No Vote, No Voice!

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This week, a representative of the Greater London Authority (GLA) came to Wilson's to deliver a talk titled ‘No Vote, No Voice’. The talked aimed to educate us on our civic and democratic rights and explained how every vote, including those of young people, shapes the society we live in. The presenter stressed that democracy does not just end at the ballot box but takes many forms and one can participate in many different ways.

The difference between our democratic rights (such as voting and standing for office - in future of course) and our civic rights (such as signing petitions and getting involved in our local community) were explained. The talk highlighted that whilst we may not be recognised as full adults yet, young people such as ourselves can still play a huge role in influencing politics and it was made clear how valuable making our voices heard can be.

Part of the talk had a particular focus on the way London is governed and this segment explained to us the importance of engaging with our representatives. The roles of the Mayor of London, the London Assembly and even our local MPs were explained, as well as how to contact them or if necessary hold them accountable. Even if we cannot vote yet, it was stressed to us how by simply getting involved we can hugely impact both local and even national politics. 

Overall, the assembly delivered a clear message that in our democracy, every voice has power, and understanding and exercising our rights is the first step in using that power. The notion that young people have far more influence than we often realised was a particularly powerful message the representative conveyed and as we prepare to enter the adult world, it was great to have such an informative talk about this important topic. We are grateful to the GLA for this presentation.

Article written by Rohit (Year 12)