We want a functioning Stormont, whoever is in it

Kurtis Reid

Young people here care about a wide range of issues, insists Kurtis Reid

Parliament Buildings at Stormont

May 07 2022 11:00 AM

“They should really put the date on the posters — I don’t think anyone actually knows you need to vote today” was a comment floating around in my group chat made up of my friends this week.

Despite posters on lampposts galore, the Assembly election didn’t appear to be the biggest trend amongst younger Millennials and Generation X, lost in a news cycle of more interesting items like the court case involving Johnny Depp and his ex-wife actress Amber Heard, which has dominated social media websites and platforms like TikTok.

You would think the drama of an election would resonate in the same way, but it can be hard for a younger generation to empathise with the tribal politics that we associate with our parents’ generation.

In June 2017, a crowd mainly made up of young festival-goers at Glastonbury Farm broke into a rendition of ‘Oh Jeremy Corbyn’, seeing the former leader of the Labour Party as the so-called saviour of the younger generation.

It was a crowd of younger people applauding a political leader and videos of the scenes went viral everywhere.

It didn’t help his chances to lead a government at Westminster, but it’s unimaginable to think that similar scenes could take place in Northern Ireland with any of the names on Thursday’s ballot paper.

This Assembly election was signposted as a game-changer, one that could see the first nationalist First Minister take office, as well as a surge by a progressive party like Alliance, who seem to have the most young people behind them, campaigning on a non-orange or green platform.

But the election campaign was widely described as dull, ending with what could be described as the most dramatic moment of it all — the leaders’ debate scheduled against Derry Girls.

This made any possible connection with younger first-time voters even more difficult — simply there was nothing interesting happening in Northern Ireland to talk tweet, Insta or TikTok about. Young people care about what happens to Northern Ireland but they’re often told what they should care about.

Issues such as abortion, LGBT+ rights and climate change are often lumped onto younger people as issues they care about.

However, I have friends who wish to join the PSNI but are concerned about how a lack of Executive could affect recruitment campaigns.

I have young friends who want to know the health service will be there to provide for their ill relatives, and that those across the country won’t have to choose between heating or eating.

These are the issues younger people want to see tackled by a functioning Assembly — it doesn’t matter who’s in it.