Pictures of the week: Non-voters by Felicity McCabe

Alex Gattward, 20, student, Manchester: ‘All these old men sat in a room being serious with their finger-tips pressed together is not what I’m about. People like Boris Johnson because his whole thing is being a bit of a laugh. I like that too. If I was going to vote it would be for the Monster Raving Loony party because that’s saying: “You’re the only one who speaks to me and you’re ridiculous.”
'My mum was more Labour, my dad was Conservative. Conservatives want to keep everything the same, keep rich people rich, and Labour try to be more for the people, but nowadays they are pretty similar.
'It does piss me off that I don’t have any input into what’s going on. Russell Brand has been talking about rebellion. I don’t think that will happen, but a lot of people aren’t represented in our system. If I was working a 9-5 job and being affected by the decisions that are made, then I would start voting. But I don’t ever want to be stuck in a 9-5.' Photograph: Felicity McCabe

Bernard Hall, 64, retired caterer, London: ‘It’s 15 years since I voted. I haven’t any interest in politics because every politician is the same. They fill their pockets and don’t care about anything else. That woman [Maria Miller] claimed £44,000 and paid back £5,000. She made £39,000 profit! The only time you see a politician is when there’s an election. They promise you the sun, moon and stars and give you nothing.
'You need only be a politician for a few years and you’ll be a millionaire. You get expenses, a great salary, a great pension, and you can do another job as well. The ambition they all have is to be multi-millionaires. And if you’re on the dole and overclaim £5 you’re in trouble, you’re in the paper and vilified. If you’re a politician you wiggle out of it. And your boss the prime minister backs you up.'
• This caption was edited on 28 May. Bernard Hall is a retired caterer, not caretaker, as we stated due to an editing error. Photograph: Felicity McCabe

Bethan Goodhead, 18, pizza ­deliverer, Sheffield: ‘Politicians annoy me. At school we watched the House of Commons on TV a few times and the insults they come up with! They act like kids in a playground. It is male-dominated and a lot of them fit a stereotype.
'I wasn’t really taught about politics by my parents or at school, so maybe that’s why I haven’t thought much about it.
'Young people don’t tend to vote and I think the further we get into the future the fewer votes politicians will get. I don’t see why I should bother.
'I’m not really in the know with current affairs. I go on YouTube and iPlayer, so if they had adverts reminding you there was an election coming up it would be helpful. I could go on the BBC news website, but I never think to and I never talk about politics with friends.
'I dropped out of one course, but I’m going to study environmental science in the autumn. I think I’m more likely to start voting when I’m older.' Photograph: Felicity McCabe

Elvis Ashew, 38, convenience store manager, London: ‘My parents moved here from Africa in the 1950s. In Cameroon they weren’t allowed to vote, so didn’t learn about elections when they were young.
'I’ve voted in the past, but I’m not looking to vote at the moment. What puts me off is that politicians don’t teach the younger generation to understand how the system works. They come along once every five years saying “we want your vote”, but they don’t spend enough time talking to ordinary people.
'I like Ed Miliband and I like general elections, so I won’t criticise people who vote in them. But I don’t enjoy politicians’ comments. They talk in ways people find difficult to understand so people feel their minds are being played with.
'What would actually make me vote? Politicians using the right language. It’s off-putting the way they speak on the radio and TV, the way they discuss things with each other. They’re in their own world.' Photograph: Felicity McCabe

John Fulcher, 71, retired motor technician, Guildford: ‘I’ve generally not bothered voting and I’m unlikely to vote again. I voted Labour once or twice about 20 years ago, but I always get the feeling that however you vote you’re still in the same boat.
'I worked for the same firm for around 40 years. We weren’t unionised and politics was never mentioned. The only reason I voted was my wife was on to me all the time. We used to talk about it more when we were younger, but now she realises I really don’t care and doesn’t bother me about it.
'Half the time I don’t believe what politicians say. Half the time I don’t understand the way they put things. And I think it’s getting worse. You’ve got the Liberal Democrats, they came third in the last election and now they’re running the country. That doesn’t seem right.' Photograph: Felicity McCabe

Lucie Walker, 33, full-time ­parent, London: ‘I’ve never voted because of my upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness. I try to live by the principles set out in the Bible.
'I don’t think badly about people who vote because it’s their decision, and I’m not against government. My husband and some of my friends are interested in world affairs, and there is a level on which it helps to be up on what’s happening. But remaining neutral is very important to us.
'All Christians say the Lord’s Prayer – thy kingdom come on earth – so that’s what people are praying for. I think it would be hypocritical of me to try to get people to look into the Bible, to learn about God’s kingdom to come, but to say in the meantime I want these politicians to fix everything as best they can. The only government I would vote for is God’s.' Photograph: Felicity McCabe

Megan Jones, 20, student, Leeds: ‘This is going to sound silly, but I’ve only just learned what leftwing and rightwing mean. At school I never had politics lessons. You’re expected to pick it up in your own time and I never had the interest to do that. My mum didn’t vote and my dad never took much interest, though he bangs on at me to watch the news. I get embarrassed, like now, I wish I could give a political opinion but I can’t.
'Some of my friends are against voting, especially since the MPs’ expenses scandal. I think if politicians were a bit younger or if there were more women I’d be more likely to vote.
'I used to think Nick Clegg was alright before he joined with David Cameron. I was always led to believe that the Liberal Democrats were the student party, but a lot of people at uni don’t like Cameron.
'It’s bad not to have an opinion on the government, but since I don’t understand what’s going on I don’t see why I should vote.' Photograph: Felicity McCabe

Sharon Burrell, 45, salon owner, London: 'You vote for these people thinking they’re going to do something to help the community, especially for us as small businesses, but then nothing. I have voted a few times, but not recently. I voted for Tony Blair. He made lots of promises, he said all the right things.
'I don’t bother with local elections. I’ve always been self-employed, but after you’ve paid the bills it sometimes feels like it’s not worth it. I sometimes feel I’d be better off unemployed.
'There are a few things that might get me interested. The main one is there need to be more activities for young people. There is nothing going on for them, nowhere for them to go, and that needs to be taken care of. The next thing is the business rates. That’s why you see shops closing down, because people can’t manage. It’s the feeling of broken promises that puts me off. They’ll say anything to get elected, but it’s all talk.' Photograph: Felicity McCabe

Mike Peden, 54, record producer, Winchester: 'I’ve probably voted three or four times since leaving school in Edinburgh. I joined bands and didn’t make any money until finally a band I was in, the Chimes, got a record deal. It took 10 years to get to that point.
'Off the back of that I managed to become a producer. I was so absorbed in music I didn’t take much notice of what was going on, even during the Thatcher period.
'I moved from Edinburgh to London in 1992. I’ve voted once since then and I can’t remember for whom. Funnily enough, politics interest me more now I’m older. Scottish independence has been on my mind. I think it would be a backward step for Scotland, but I couldn’t vote even if I wanted to, because I now live in England. How dumb is that?
'What worries me is, I don’t know who I would vote for now. They’re all tarred with the same brush.' Photograph: Felicity McCabe

Sandra Taylor, 38, nanny, Woking: 'I used to vote. When I turned 18 I voted Conservative because my dad did, but I got bored with them promising stuff and not coming through with it. It felt pointless.
'I liked Margaret Thatcher, but probably mainly because she was a woman. I don’t particularly dislike any politicians now, but I agree with what the Ukip leader says about them all coming from privileged backgrounds.
'I don’t ignore everything, it’s not like I’m in the dark ages, but it’s like the government that’s in now is picking up stuff that governments before have messed up. I think they need to be in for longer. Maybe it’s because I’m from the north, but I think it goes all the way back to them selling off the steel and the ports.
'If they could wipe the slate clean, maybe I would vote. Maybe if there were people more like Joe Public standing I might vote for them. Not that I would vote Ukip, because they’re a bit extreme.' Photograph: Felicity McCabe

Lawrence Taylor, 30, trainee accountant, Southampton: 'I’ve never voted. For as long as I’ve been watching there’s never been any difference in how they run things so I haven’t seen the point.
'I’ve considered going into politics myself, because a lot of them have had top educations and wealthy lives and they have no grasp of what it’s like for the common person who is stuck at the bottom. They say the money they give you is enough to survive on. Well, yeah, you can survive on it, but you can’t survive healthily. You can’t buy fresh fruit and vegetables.
'Most of my issues with the government are to do with the benefits system. They are cracking down on those looking for work when there isn’t enough work to go around, and it doesn’t seem right. I spent quite a few years looking for work and trying to get help from the jobcentre, but ultimately they say it’s your job to sort it out. Now I’m training to be an accountant.' Photograph: Felicity McCabe

Diane Saunders, 51, carer, Slough: ‘Four of my five kids vote and they say “you’ve got the vote, use it”, but I don’t have faith in politicians any more. I stopped four or five years ago.
'I used to vote for the Liberal Democrats, because they were our local councillors and whenever there were problems they seemed to get them sorted. Local politicians just put a leaflet through your door now. They don’t knock and ask if you’ve got any concerns. We’ve seen a lot of changes here and they’re not good.
'There are people who are struggling, who are applying for jobs every day and just not being lucky. Before I became a carer for my granddaughter I was made redundant and I tried for two years to get a job. I went on college courses to try to better myself but still didn’t get anywhere.
'I’d like to vote again. I’d like to have faith in one of them again. I would, but right now I feel fed up.' Photograph: Felicity McCabe