For young people across the UK, not voting in the upcoming general election is simply not an option - there is just too much at stake.
Over the past decade we have seen severe cuts to youth services, the closure of over 600 youth centres and an embarrassing failure to act on the climate emergency.
This blatant disregard for the future of our generation has led to young people feeling severely let down.
As one student told me in Southampton; the joy of being young is that a world of opportunity awaits, but for this generation, it feels as if those opportunities are closing in on us by the day.
The main concern for myself and youth organisations across the country is whether or not we decide to do anything about it.
The silver-lining to the Government neglecting us is that it has now inspired one of the most powerful forces in political history - the youth movement.
Analysts, pollsters and political figures are waiting in anticipation to see whether the rhetoric will be backed up by action. Will young people capitalize on the most powerful form of democratic accountability?
As the Founder and CEO of YouthPolitics UK, I have spoken to thousands of young adults in universities and sixth forms across the country.
It appears the question is not if they are motivated to turnout and vote - they are. In fact, they have registered to vote in their masses.
The question really is, do they have anyone to vote for?
It is no secret that the vast majority of young people want to remain in the European Union and embrace a world in which we celebrate diversity and tolerance.
Yet the lack of a credible option for young people to vote for encapsulates the sad state of our politics.
Memories of the Liberal Democrats failing our generation on the issue of tuition fees remain stark in our minds.
Divisions within the Labour Party and its failure to tackle anti-Semitism contradict the very values that we as a generation stand for. Indeed, the leader of the Conservative Party couldn’t even be bothered to stand up and debate climate change, the greatest issue facing our generation, with the other party leaders.
There is something that all political leaders should understand in the run up to this election.
Young people will decide who enters Number 10 on December 12th, so listen to us.
A spotlight should instead be shone on the work of oragnisations, often led and directed by young people, such as the #iWill Campaign, MyLifeMySay, ShoutOut UK and YouthPolitics.
These unsung heroes are driving unprecedented levels of youth engagement at a grassroots level and provide young people with the skills needed to take matters into their own hands.
The climate strikes, twitter storms and voter registration statistics show that we have made significant progress, but the current state of our political parties show that there is a long way to go.
We stand at the ready, not just to ensure that young people are taken seriously by decision makers, but to ensure that young people themselves become the decision makers.
- Daniel Lawes is the 18 year old Founder & CEO of YouthPolitics UK. He is an ambassador of the #iWill Campaign and a Diana Legacy Award Winner.
