EU Referendum – Leave or Remain – Get out there and vote

The following post was a speech I gave at a Toastmaster's evening in the 3rd week of June 2016 when Britain voted for Brexit. I was making a case for young Brits to participate in the referendum and make their opinion count.

Brexit, Leave or Remain, EU Referendum: these are phrases we have been bombarded with over the last 4 months since David Cameron announced that UK would be voting on 23^rd June to decide whether it is in or out of the EU. It is such a key decision for British citizens that every media outlet is whipping itself into a frenzy as we lead up to Thursday this week. The campaign is definitely heating up!

There is a key segment of the population, the younger generation, between the ages of 18-24 need to participate in the referendum as the choice that is made will affect them for the rest of their lives. There are close to 4 million 18-24 year olds who are not currently registered to vote. They need to do so and make an important contribution which will decide how they and their descendants fare in the decades ahead.

Migration, healthcare, education, pensions, house prices, employment, social welfare, trade of goods, national security, etc. are all important aspects which impact our daily lives. Politicians focus on certain elements of it in their speeches and campaigns to suit their purposes. The general population seeks clear facts to help them decide. However, the issue is also complex given the various aspects involved – different aspects are important to different people that there is no consensus on what would work or be acceptable to the entire population. Hey that is what democracy is about.

But we cannot complain if only 40% of the entire population turned up to vote because then it doesn’t represent the views of the larger population. If we want to be heard, then each and every one of us has to vote. Pensioners and people above the age of 50-55 are reasonably well off having ridden an employment boom, rise in house prices and increase in oil and gas tax receipts to the exchequer in the years gone by.

My appeal to young Brits is that whether its education, employment or healthcare, we need to accept the fact that going forward they will need to be flexible to and adapt quickly to changing scenarios in society. The sooner they recognize this challenge the better it will be for them and their future generations.

For example, the world of today post-2008 is no longer the same. The financial crisis 8 years ago has left a recession in its wake and slow growth all over the world. Britain has seen an extended period of austerity and a slow recovery process. The emerging markets while being volatile offer the main opportunities of growth in the global market place.  There is an air of uncertainty and despondence that pervades.

The large scale employment opportunities such as manufacturing, mining, oil & gas, etc. are under constant pressure. The woes of the steel and automotive industry are well known. The retail services segment while employing a large segment of the population does not pay well. The financial services sector has lost the trust of the people.  

The NHS is under severe strain. Educational challenges remain where university education has become very expensive while in certain parts of the country finding school places is a challenge. There are jobs in London and Manchester which are filled by part time students from European Union because the wages are not attractive enough for young Brits. 

To summarize, I am not making a case for Leave or Remain here. My aim in the course of this speech has been to highlight to the younger generation the issues and challenges that face our nation. We cannot let the Nigel Farages, Boris Johnsons and David Camerons of Britain tell us what to do. If we decide to be lazy and not vote, then we are letting others make the decision for us. That will be the moment we regret because we blew our one chance to influence how we would like to lead our lives in this nation of ours. I urge you that come Thursday 23^rd June, find your inspiration to leave a state of apathy and make a difference. Go and make your choice count!!