The Graduate's Guide to Voting

I’ve always been that person who says, “It doesn’t matter who you vote for, as long as you vote”, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the upcoming in/out referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU is too important for just picking a side on the day. I’m fortunate as a politics grad in that I’ve always known which way I would vote if there was ever an in/out referendum, but many friends I’ve spoken to are still undecided. I can’t imagine how overwhelming it must be to have to make your mind up in a matter of weeks. So with that in mind, here is my guide to deciding which way to vote, so you don’t end up voting in the dark.

1.    The newspapers do not equal the truth

Some people seem to think everything they read in newspapers is gospel. Well, I’m here to tell you it’s not. On both sides of any debate, newspapers have agendas too, so they’ll rarely report figures that go against their message, and have even become quite skilled at running pretty flawed and skewed research of their own. Either read a variety of newspapers or none at all, and take everything you read with a pinch of salt.

2.    Educate yourself

It’s important to seek out more information than what is hand-picked for you by the media or your friends and family. You decide what’s important to you. You can do your own research simply by googling the institutions and issues involved. The more you know, the more informed your decision will be on polling day.

3.    Get some perspective

You’ll probably feel more confident in your decision if you keep up with what’s going on in the world beyond our shores; how the UK affects the world, and how the world affects the UK. I find it really helpful to read articles written outside the UK to gain some much needed context to any debate. Good starting points are the New York Times, Politico, The Washington Post and Buzzfeed, where you’ll find they all have columns going on European Affairs and the referendum specifically. Try searching ‘Brexit’ in any of these publications and you should find plenty of global perspective.

4.    Talk it out

Don’t be afraid to listen to the opinions of those close to you and tell them your views too. You’ll probably gain some insight into how people could personally be affected by the result, and debating with people can strengthen your arguments or just make you see things clearly. But maybe don’t bring it up at a special occasion like a family wedding. Champagne, family and politics is a lethal cocktail which won’t end well!

5.    Think about what you want

Have a think about what you want out of life- your goals, ambitions and dreams- and whether the referendum result would effect those things based on what you’ve learnt, and if so how. The arguments from campaigners can get a bit abstract, but if you think of the facts and figures in terms of your job ambitions, travelling goals, family dreams etc the debate gets closer to home and a little more real.

Be critical, open- minded, and good luck…

See you on the flip side!!!

The myth of Millennials

Over the last few weeks the media have been bizarrely obsessing over the concept of millennials. A ‘millennial’ is generally someone born between 1982 and 2000- so someone who either came of age or was born at the new millennium. As a millennial, it’s been kind of cringey to watch (after writing ‘cringey’, I’ve never been more acutely aware of how stereotypically millennial I am) article after article generalise millions of people. Their coverage has been both confusing and slightly irritating- I have never liked pitting generations against each other, especially in a way that alienates one from the other; we all want the same things, people! So I’ve been compelled to write whatever this is in response to the media’s sudden concern about us ‘millennials’, and maybe dispel some myths as I go along.

1.    “Millennials are spoilt”

My generation happened to grow up in a period of huge technological advancements, occurring either in our childhood or our teenage years, changes which have continued into adulthood. While children growing up today may well take their mobiles and laptops for granted, we definitely don’t; we’ve lived both with and without them. With such luxuries has also come huge pressures. Older generations never had to deal with cyber bullying, in which bullies can follow you into your home in the form of facebook, twitter, snapchat etc. And they never had to deal with the pressure of having a new iphone every year. It’s getting even worse too; what I had to deal with when I was 16, kids are going through when they’re 10. We appreciate technology, but we know its dangers too.

2.    “Millennials don’t work hard/are lazy”

If by ‘lazy’ you mean ‘paralysed by fear’ then yes, millennials are lazy. My generation has so much to be anxious about I am constantly in awe of our ability to get out of bed each day. My parents bought a house when they were 26, but house prices are so high these days, and only increasing, we can barely afford our rent. Wages are stagnant, and many millennials entered the jobs market at the worst possible time. Unpaid internships are now a routine part of most professions, meaning if mummy and daddy can’t sustain you for a few months, it’s hard to even get started. It’s no wonder some millennials are having to live with their poor parents until their late twenties. It’s thought we’ll be the first generation not to be better off than our parents, no matter how hard we work.

3.    “Millennials are narcissistic”

If we are, this is literally everyone’s fault but ours. As a generation, we were promised more than any other. My earliest memory of politics is John Prescott promising to have 40% of young people attend University. Shortly after this I remember being visited in school by the ‘aim higher’ campaign, who introduced the idea of University to kids who would be the first in their families to attend. So we were kind of made the centre of attention from the beginning. It’s like New Labour were obsessed with us and then kind of forgot what would happen to job prospects if 40% of us had a bloody degree. They had good intentions.

I don’t mean to hold a pity party, but a little acknowledgement that the characteristics that define ‘millennials’ are a result of real and legitimate factors would be nice. 9/11, the Iraq War, 7/7, the global financial crisis- to name a few- are some of our earliest and most prominent memories. So before you dismiss my generation as useless, remember that in the face of the tumultuous world, we millennials are hopeful, innovative and relentlessly engaged in our future. And I think we rock.

Spring/Summer Literary Wish list

As much as I’d love to recreate the perfect image of curling up in front of the fire with a good book and a hot chocolate, all I want to do in winter is watch movies. My reading time is spring/summer. For me, there’s no better way to spend a summer’s day than outside with a book and a mojito- lemonade, I mean with a lemonade…

1.    The Cursed Child, JK Rowling. This is not a sequel. I repeat this is NOT a Harry Potter sequel. JK Rowling can try, but it doesn’t make me any less excited about this play. (But reading a play is never the same, it’s like reading sheet music amirite?)

2.    Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert. I’m an Eat Pray Love gal through and through so I’m dying to know what pieces of wisdom Gilbert has lined up for us in her latest best seller. This has been out for a while but better late than never eh?

3.  All Too Human: A Political Education, George Stephanopoulos. I’m a sucker for a good political book. This was released in the late 90’s and is a glimpse into the early days of the Clinton administration, when it was ambitious, hopeful and optimistic. Written by George, who served as Clinton’s communications director, I’ve heard it’s an amazing insight into what it’s really like to work with politicians behind the scenes at the highest level.

4.    Cook Happy, Cook Healthy by Fearne Cotton is a gem I’ve been waiting for all my life. I am obsessed with Fearne’s Instagram predominantly for her amazing recipes, some of which I hope she’ll share with us in this book! It’s due to be published on 2^nd June.

5.    My Life on the Road, Gloria Steinem. If Emma Watson recommends a book, you read it. This memoir promises to steal my heart. Gloria Steinem has been through it all, literally, including the last 2 waves of feminism. I have a feeling this will be one I don’t put down.

PS, I can’t emphasis enough how this is just a shortlist; I have a constant list of books to read on my iphone notes! So these really are the chosen ones.

What do you prefer reading? Non- fiction, novels, memoir, graphic novels?

What books are on your shortlist right now? I would love to know!

Aiming low and the dumbing down of public life

*Bear with me on this one gang*

There seems to be a trend in media and culture and general public life towards dumbing down, or rather, pandering to the lowest common denominator. It’s something I’ve been especially aware of in the last 12 months, particularly with the UK General Election last May, and with the current US primary season underway.

During both campaigns I’ve failed to resist making comparisons to President Bartlett’s campaign for a second term (BARTLET FOR AMERICA!) in The West Wing. To win the campaign Toby persuades the President not to speak down to the electorate, but to appeal to the best and smartest side of them. He proceeds run and win a campaign which aspires to what we could be and what we could achieve, by appealing to our better angels. This seems like how we should all aspire to be; it’s certainly how I’d like to think of the media in an ideal world.

But alas, the West Wing takes place in an ideal, parallel universe in which Rob Lowe is a beautiful liberal hero (Can I PLEASE switch to that Universe?). Instead we have David Cameron winning an election by basically repeating the phrase, “long term economic plan” until our ears bleed, and Donald Trump winning primaries by praying on fear and bringing out the worst of us. The result? Those who can see through the slogans and partisan point scoring to see complex issues and solutions, are completely turned off politics. It’s so frustrating because it makes it hard to tell if anyone actually knows what they’re doing, if even the smartest politician dumbs themself down (Ed Miliband, I'm looking at you). Where did the bravery, optimism and hope that brought us the NHS, the New Deal and the United Nations disappear to?

I could (and have done) write an essay on politics and popular culture so this is the last I’ll say on the matter I promise! For years politics wasn’t really affected by popular culture. It was in a realm above it, and saw itself as far too important to involve itself in such matters. But in the age of mass media the overlap is seemingly impossible to avoid. It’s escalated to the level of Donald Trump, who is clearly a reality TV show contestant, and you can almost hear the sinking hearts of the GOP elite as this begins to dawn on them. But again, I’ll save that for another day before I get carried away! Back to the media and stuff.

It’s hard to quantify when the shift towards dumbing down culture began- partly due to my being born in 1993 and the difficulty in studying the whole of the media, which is huge, but I’ve got an inkling the rise of neoliberalism from the late 1970’s onwards has something to do with it (it usually does).

I link this to neoliberalism simply because it gave rise to two media explosions; 24 hour news and later talent shows such as Britain’s Got Talent. Both are examples of mass media which have become global cultural phenomena. To be successful on both a national and international scale- something only possible due to recent technology- they must appeal to a huge audience. This need to appeal to wider and wider audiences I think goes some way in explaining the dumbing down of media.

So, how does this relate to neoliberalism? Executive’s attempts to appeal to as many people as possible is no accident. It’s part of the marketization of culture which has resulted in culture having to justify its existence through its ability to make money. Currency of culture switched to money rather than art for the sake of art. Basically, they’re so scared to exclude anybody they end up aiming low enough that they catch all.

But this raises two questions, why do executives feel they should appeal to our lowest; why not aspire to elevate the public? And secondly, why does low brow culture now appeal everyone, including elites?

1.    I’m not a psychologist but I imagine this just comes from fear. Writers must be under unbelievable pressure to produce commercially successful shows, so taking a leap of faith must be too risky. Imagine if we could all BE BRAVE?

2.    The upper classes used to be cultural snobs i.e., they were exclusively into Opera and classical music, but now they’re more like cultural omnivores with a truly democratic taste being most desirable (that’s why I don’t mind saying I like One Direction and Billie Holiday for example). I think this is one of the key changes. Whereas ‘trash’ TV used to be frowned upon- it’s low brow after all- it’s now embraced by upper, middle and working classes.

So if you’re on my wavelength, it’s starting to look like we have a chicken and egg situation on our hands. What came first; the democratisation of culture or its dumbing down? *I wish I had chosen this as my dissertation question. Better late than never* In politics we’ve seen a race to the centre since the 1990’s, and the same is true of the media. In politics, the hope is to appeal to as many people in the middle ground as possible (where most people are) to win as many votes as possible. In the media the aim is to appeal to as many people as possible and offend as few people as possible to make as much money as possible. Ta- daaaaaaaaa! We got there in the end didn’t we.

 In my follow- up I will ask, ‘Are the world’s media and political elite just needy people pleasers craving acceptance from as many of us as possible?’

10 Reasons to be with Hillary #ImWithHer

1.    In spite of recent accusations, she is both radical and progressive. She is the first First lady to be elected to the Senate, and only the 3^rd woman to be appointed Secretary of State. On top of all this, she was perhaps the most politically active First Lady the US has seen, getting stuck into domestic and international issues, which caused some controversy back in the day.

2.    She is the pantsuit Queen. Why would you want to deny the world of a pantsuit wearing President?

3.    She has the most executive experience of all the nominees including the Republican candidates. Her resume includes developing global trade deals, elevating women’s rights to new heights, and uniting a coalition in Qadhafi’s downfall and Libya’s transition. She has practised politics more than anyone else, and this ultimately, is how a President gets things done. It is through practising politics daily, rather than waiting for a dream, too-good-to-be-true candidate that we make progress. #Bitchesgetshitdone

4.    She’s the best of both worlds. Along with being an experienced politician, she's been an activist all her life. She has championed and got her hands dirty in grassroots movements since being a leader in the student’s movement in the 1960’s. She’s rad.

5.    The first female President following the first black President just feels right , doesn’t it?

6.    She cares about your health. She was one of the first senior politicians to champion what we now know as Obamacare back in the 90’s, before Obama was even on the scene. Hillary has expressed that she would take Obamacare one step further to be universal, as she originally intended it.

7.    People criticise her for being cosy with Wall Street, with many big banks making donations to her campaign. But she actually has big plans for reforming the financial system just like Bernie.

8.    Can you imagine the force of nature that would be President Hillary Clinton and Vice President Bernie Sanders? A liberal Democrat super team. *angelic singing*

9.    She is a big believer in diplomacy and using military action as a last resort. During Libya’s uprising, she was a key uniting figure, bringing rebels and politicians together to create an international alliance. Unlike Senator Sanders, she has experience in making tough global decisions on a daily basis, after all, it was her job for 4 years.

10. Hillary Rodham Clinton is a feminist, and protecting women’s reproductive rights by keeping government funding for Planned Parenthood and protecting the right to abortion is one of her major priorities. One of her first political acts as First Lady was to speak at the UN’s 4^th World Conference on Women, declaring, “Women’s rights are human rights”. You can watch her speech here. Surely having a woman as leader of the free world is the ultimate feminist achievement?

#ImWithHer

Dear world, you have a Netflix problem

So I read this piece about Netflix in the New Yorker by Zain Khalid, which was equally as hilarious as it was a little too true for my liking. It would be fair to say it hit close to home. It was based on the premise that my fellow twentysomethings and I are wasting our youth watching Netflix, without even noticing. It got me thinking, so please have fun while you try to follow the below train of thought…

I think the reason we sometimes (a lot of the time) chose Netflix over, you know, real people, is because it’s turned into a legitimate excuse- it carries cultural capital. Basically, it’s not seen as lame. And what with ‘Netflix and chill’ becoming a stage in a relationship in its own right, it’s no wonder Netflix is a cultural phenomenon. To cut a long story short, Netflix has no shame.

In the article, Khalid referred to winter as, ‘Netflix season’…Really?! It’s only existed for a couple of years and we’re already giving it a season? Really. I’m not going to lie, I don’t have any ground breaking sociological conclusions to draw from this, other than I think we often use Netflix as a safety net. Netflix prays upon the compulsive part of our brain that needs to binge once in a while. It’s an easy, relatable and not so lame way of saying, “My brain can’t really handle being around other people tonight”.

Will this ever end? Will it be like ‘okay we’ve reached peak Netflix’. That’s what’s happening now with facial hair apparently. We’re at peak beard, ladies and gents. I feel like there will come a day when people start to look down on you again when you say, ‘sorry I’m not coming out tonight, I’m binge watching Sabrina the Teenage witch’. I hope this day comes before we realise we’ve wasted the glory days on Netflix. I feel like I have the cycle of popular culture down to a tee.

Lame/niche/marginal à hipsters get on it ironically à becomes mainstream à get’s overkilled à goes back to being niche/lame/marginal

If there’s anything having anxiety has taught me, it’s that we need to go against our instinct and say yes. Even though closing your laptop and facing the real world can seem like the hardest task in the world for a moment, it is the best thing. Netflix is good for the soul, but as my second favourite phrase goes, everything in moderation. Hopefully the Netflix binge obsession isn’t sticking around long enough to turn us into a generation of reclusive parents and grandparents, who pass these habits onto the next generation. But as my favourite phrase goes, everything in moderation, including moderation…*winky emoji*

Everyone can do something: my thoughts on the environment, food, and the future.

I’ve made some changes to my diet and lifestyle recently so I thought I would share. Bare in mind this is just my own experience based on what I’ve learnt, and I’m by no means trying to impose that on others. I just think we should educate ourselves before we make choices.

So many industries which people in the west rely upon are exploitative and destructive to humans, animals, and the planet. It can be overwhelming to research, but there is no denying that the huge demand for products on a mass scale is, in many cases, having disastrous consequences. Now, I’m no hippy. But I recognise that it’s no longer good enough to assume somebody else is solving all of the world’s problems, as soon enough our generation will be expected to come up with answers. (Jack’s piece on the subject hits the nail on the head). The future is a shared responsibility.

It may sound silly when compared to the enormity of the problem, but for me, giving up meat and dairy is the easiest way I can make a small change which could have a greater impact. While I can’t afford to only purchase organic, sustainable clothing right now, even though I know most of what I buy was likely made in a sweatshop, that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to call myself an ethical consumer in other ways. To be ethical doesn’t mean ‘to be perfect’.

With this in mind, about 6 months ago I gave up meat, and dairy soon followed. I gave them both up for obvious reasons. Not only do I believe the needless killing of innocent animals for human pleasure to be unethical, I am also aware of the detrimental effects both industries are having on the beautiful planet on which we live. The meat industry alone does more damage to the environment than all the cars, planes and trains combined. However, one animal product I struggle to say no to was eggs.

I’ve watched documentary after documentary about the horrible conditions hens live and die in, not to mentions the corrupt industry which is exploiting farmers. In spite of all this, and to my annoyance, there’s still nothing much better than a poached egg on avocado toast. So to reconcile my love for eggs and my love for hens, I’ve decided to only buy my eggs from a local farm’s shop, where I can see the happy, healthy hens roaming free, even though they’re a tiny bit more pricy. Happy hens, happy farmer, happy Annabelle.

Remember how powerful you are as a consumer! I believe that with that power, we have a duty to protect the planet and each other and to take responsibility for our actions. Obviously not everyone can turn into a self- sustainable vegan goddess overnight. But everyone making small changes will have a way bigger impact than just a few extreme examples. Everyone can do something.

There are lots of great events you can get involved and small changes you can make such as Meat Free Mondays, buying local or Fairtrade produce, attending your local vegan fair, or even just using public transport instead of a car. Do whatever you can!

The Graduate's guide to...the Labour leadership election

If you’re in the loop with current affairs you may have noticed that the Labour party is in the midst of electing a new leader, after Ed Miliband- to the dismay of the ‘Milifandom’- resigned in May following his party’s electoral defeat at the hands of both the Conservatives and the Scottish National Party (SNP). While much of the media may be succeeding in convincing you that the Labour party is falling apart from within, I thought I’d take a closer look at the candidates and the main political issues so far.

Yvette Cooper…if you grew up under New Labour like me, Yvette Cooper’s name is probably familiar- even if you’re not sure why. Along with her husband, Ed Balls, Cooper has been a prominent figure in the Labour party since her election as one of ‘Blair’s babes’ (uggggh, the feminist in me is screaming) in 1997. She later served in Gordon Brown’s cabinet and has since risen through the ranks to serve as both Shadow Foreign and Shadow Home Secretary. Cooper certainly has the backing of those in the party who share her New Labour background; most recently, the much- loved Alan Johnson declared his support for Cooper, and she also has the backing of The Guardian. While being a party favourite isn’t always enough to win, she has been included in the Woman’s Hour list of 100 most powerful women in the UK, so I think we all know she’s a winner whatever happens.

Andy Burnham…Andy Burnham is a fellow northerner, so I instinctively like him more than the rest. But all regional bias aside, Burhman has been MP for Leigh since 2001, and played a played a big role in the emergence of a second Hillsborough inquiry, after pushing the disaster onto the Parliamentary agenda in 2009, and also served as shadow health secretary. But while he isn’t one of the 100 most powerful women in the country, he does have a killer set of eyebrows; move over Cara Delevingne. You may have heard him repeatedly saying he would unite the party if he became leader, but- much like the word ‘biscotti’ in the Great British Bake- off- he’s said it so many times it’s started to lose its meaning. (But my aunty met him and said he was really nice).

Liz Kendall… Liz Kendall is probably the least well- known by the general public. Despite this, she is seen as an emblem for moderate, centre ground politics, and the antithesis to the more radical Jeremy Corbyn (we’ll get to him in a minute) But frankly, all you need to know about Liz Kendall is that she called out a sexist reporter and told him to “fuck off” after he asked her a question about her weight. It’s no surprise then that David Miliband has praised her ‘plain speaking’ and ‘political courage’. If anyone scares David Cameron, I’m gonna say it’s this bad ass bitch. In the words of Tina Fey, “Bitches get stuff done”.

Jeremy Corbyn…if you haven’t heard his name by now, seriously where have you been? There is no excuse. Unlike the other candidates, Jeremy Corbyn’s political career has been defined by radicalism- to say the least, which has sometimes got him into trouble. I’m talking about his questionable definition of terrorism and his dodgy relationship with the Jewish community. Support for Corbyn is clearly support for Labour’s roots, but many fear these roots are completely unelectable in contemporary Britain, including Gordon Brown, who says Corbyn goes against the party’s duty to have an electable leader to offer hope to the most vulnerable. Recently this view has been challenged by the man’s surprising popularity among young lefties, who feel Corbyn has the direction Labour desperately needs. The list of Labour figures who have warned against Corbyn is getting a bit long; is support for Corbyn a case of misdirected anger?

While I’m not (quite) old enough to remember the Labour leadership contests of the 1980’s, it does seem like since Blair, the main issues of leadership contests have been more and more inward- looking. Instead of debating education, health, and important foreign policy, candidates have outlined what Labour ought to be and who it ought to be for in the 20^th Century. Even though Labour’s turmoil is exhausting to watch, there’s no doubt it’s a vital part of having a purposeful and electable opposition. When will this soul searching end? I can’t even.

Are you eligible to vote?

If so, who are you planning on voting for?

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