Why the youth of Wales cannot be complacent

Dafydd Ball

If you are reading this now, you are probably in an echo chamber.

You’re most likely a well-educated, politically engaged and progressive person who, like me, desperately wants to stop the rise of Nigel Farage’s English nationalism in our country, surrounded by many likeminded people.

Although this demographic is an optimistic sight for the election on the Seventh of May, it mustn’t get complacent nor cocky that its vote alone will be enough quash Reform.

I believe we must work tirelessly to ensure that every unengaged friend, classmate or family member turns out to vote, and in turn become better citizens.

Reform in Wales

As you all know, the dangers of Reform are as threatening as they are vast. Their tight links to Russia through the disgraced Nathan Gill, Nigel Farage’s abhorrent distain for Welsh language and culture and even their inability to elect a leader for Wales before February of this year shows an absolute disregard for the Welsh people and the significance of the Senedd, especially as the leader, Dan Thomas, doesn’t even reside in Wales.

How can we let our proud nation to be led by a leader who can’t even be bothered to live in Wales in the first place?

Much is said in Wales about the parties of Westminster only lending their time to Wales to enhance their own English goals, but this is amplified to the maximum by Reform UK, whose national leader can’t even give his time to his own constituency, let alone the needs of an entire ‘foreign’ nation as he would put it.

Stop them

I think we must recognise that the potential voters of this party are manipulated, not evil; they are desperate to find a way out from the anguish of the past few years.

We cannot patronise them, alienate them or shame them. We must educate them. Elections are not won on taking the moral high ground against those who are less fortunate.

It’s about educating them to show how the party they idolise is not working in their favour, and that politics of hope is what can drive them out of the desperation that they currently feel, not the politics of hate.

This is even more important as each individual vote matters greater than ever before.

The more proportional system that is being introduced in this year’s election rids Wales of an outdated system of voting defensively, and with 6 candidates being elected in each consistency, a greater importance on every single vote.

But what does this mean for the election?

It means that turnout will be the driving factor in deciding who will run the country for the next 5 years, with more competitive seats signalling the need for more votes to stand in the way of Reform.

As someone who has been interested in politics and excited to vote since the 2015 General election, I am elated that my first time voting is such a critical moment in the future of Wales, and progressive politics in general. But I am also scared that without a full youth turnout it could be a disastrous election for the country.

Look at the scenes of jubilation last week from Hungary as they’ve rejected the viciousness of the far right. We deserve those celebrations come May too.

We can achieve this together if we avoid the complacency that is so easy to get swept up by, and the confidence of our progressive circles that can blind us of the situation in the rest of the country.

We can achieve this by unashamed campaigning, and the fearlessness of knowing that every contribution puts Wales further away from a racist Reform government.