Yesterday, my poll card for the EU referendum came in the post (I’ll be voting to stay in). Immediately prior to this, I’d momentarily panicked over the thought that I hadn’t registered to vote yet, only to quickly remember that I’d already done so during all that spare time I had before Christmas. I have to say that I was massively relieved, since the chance to properly declare my views and make a difference with my vote is incredibly important to me – as it should be to everyone. Now that I’m 18, I can say here and now that I will eagerly take every opportunity to vote for the rest of my life.

I remember someone telling me after the General Election last year that they didn’t vote because they didn’t feel that any of it had any relevance to their life whatsoever. With the greatest of respect to them, they were – of course – wrong. It should go without saying that political decisions affect everyone, young and old, regardless of your situation in life – so it’s therefore quite literally impossible for it to be irrelevant! We should all take an interest, because our futures all depend on these things. And if you don’t do this, and in turn do not vote, you have very little right to moan when something doesn’t suit you!

As Emily pointed out in her post, none of us should be afraid to do our own research. Voting in the same way as your family or anybody close to you is something I have never understood. The rest of my family is largely Conservative, but I am left-wing and proudly so – my own personal experiences have taught me that I want everything the Left offers for the world and the people in it, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. When it comes to politics, take note of your own life – nobody else’s – and listen to your heart, and therein you will find the viewpoint you are looking for. Once you have it, go and make a difference whenever you can, because your time is now, whoever you are.

Before I go, I want to thank Will and Emily for their brilliant posts, and I hope you all enjoyed their brief hijacking (or “blogjacking”) during my bout of writer’s block! It’s great to see that this blog can prosper as a group project, and I’d like to do whatever I can to make sure many more excellent writers can contribute in future – and to make sure we get Will and Emily back again!

Mason