P.R.I.C.K

A Student's Guide to the General Election
*links to websites might not work, so copy and paste the ones in red*

Look. I get it. We're all sick of politics by now. We've all been politically saturated over the last year.

Brexit. Theresa May. Trump. And now a snap general election.

But I beg you, just hang on in there another month. Then I promise, you can go on your way.

SO basically, this election is kind of a big deal.

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but basically everything we hold dear in this country is going to the dogs. And when I say 'we', I mean us. Me and you. Young people. Students. Those that don't suffer from hangovers in the same way our parents do. The ones that always get asked to solve problems with iPads and Macbooks. Yes. You too. And for those of you who are like "hmm yeah that doesn't really apply to me".... guess what? It applies to you too.

Because it's such a big deal, I wanna outline just 3 main reasons why you as a student should

a) register to vote > https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote <

and 

b)... vote on June 8th. 

Okay here we go:

1. Education

We are so so privileged to be able to go to university. Yes, even though we pay £9000 a year for it. Education is the cornerstone of everything we know. It allows us to make sense of the world, form opinions, get jobs, make money.
Yet secondary schools around the country are physically having to shorten their school days because they can't afford to pay teachers due to the cuts the Tory government have implemented. Using this website > https://www.schoolcuts.org.uk/#!/ < , you can see just how much money your old school will lose by 2019. 

Higher education (that's university to you and me) is being attacked like never before, with still further fee increases, marketisation and the scrapping of maintenance grants meaning the poorest students graduate with the highest debt. Again - this is a result of relentless damaging Tory policy.

2. NHS

I cannot understate this. We, in the UK, can seek medical treatment for anything from a tummy bug to a life threatening illness, at a moment's notice, FOR FREE. NO DOLLA NEEDED. Just lost your job? Got you covered. Homeless? Got you covered. Student at university with chronic freshers flu but hella broke? Got you covered.
Yet Tory government are hellbent on turning a blind eye in the hope that the whole system gets privatised. Our beloved health care system is literally falling apart at the seams.
You only have to watch an episode of Hospital > https://store.bbc.com/hospital < or Confessions of a Junior Doctor > http://www.channel4.com/programmes/confessions-of-a-junior-doctor/on-demand/64765-003 < to see just how close it is to collapse.
Basic health care is not a privilege, it is a right. And under the current government, it is not getting the investment it needs, to the point of dangerous practice.

3. Brexit

There's no shying away from it. Brexit is the single biggest political issue to grace our generation. 48% of the country voted to remain. It was almost as split as a referendum could possibly be.
Yet Tory government is accelerating towards a hard Brexit. Loss of free movement of people, decreased investment in research, no access to the single market. It's not even delivering on promises around immigration that the whole leave campaign was founded on.
Should the Tories get a bigger mandate in government during this election, we can literally kiss goodbye to any hope of a set of negotiations that benefits the younger generation.

These are just 3 of the reasons why we need to get off our asses and vote in this election. I haven't even begun to mention mental health provision, the housing crisis, food banks and the job market.

"WELL WHAT CAN I DO?" I hear you cry. Well, it just so happens I have a sneaky acronym for you all to remember.

PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ELECTION.

I know you're weary. But it's super important.

REGISTER TO VOTE. 

> https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote < You cannot have your say in this election if you don't register. It takes 5 minutes and all you need is your NI number. AND you can register in 2 locations if you're not sure where you'll be on the 8th of June. You have until the 22nd of May to register so get a shimmy on for goodness sake.

INFORMATION SEEK.

You're gonna see a lot of empty promises and propaganda in this election. Seek out the facts. Read the manifestos. Critique what you read. Form your views.

CAMPAIGN.

And I don't mean necessarily taking your placards down to your local town hall and shouting. I mean talk to your friends. Talk to your family. Talk to your colleagues. Get them to register, get them to vote, get them to consider your views!

KICK THE TORIES OUT.

Can you tell I don't like the tories? I honestly believe the 3 things I've outlined, and many more issues that affect us, are in serious trouble if the Tories continue with the mandate they have. We absolutely have the power to bring back the balance, and shape our own futures (*insert any other fab cliches here*). It might come down to tactical voting to ensure your vote counts towards pushing the Tories back. If so, try this website to see who might be worth voting for.

Register. Turn Up. Vote. Be Heard. Make Change. P.R.I.C.K.