I hope you won’t mind, but I thought I’d return from my unofficial blogging hiatus with something a little different to my normal programming. Despite the usually hyper-feminine tone of this blog, many of you will know that by day I actually have a serious job as a political advisor in Westminster.
I’ve been working in politics since 2002, when I first went to Washington to intern for a Senator; my office was on the same marbled corridor as Ted Kennedy and Hilary Clinton, and President Bush was just about to launch a war in Iraq. Although I was always raised to be politically aware and to play an active part in society, in those first months ‘on the inside’, I came to realise first-hand what a very real and direct impact politics has on all of our lives. And for me, there was no turning back from there. I wanted to be a part of of this world; to help others, to make a difference and, in my own small way, to help shape those policies for the better.
On May 7th, the UK goes to the polls to decide who will govern the country for the next five years. Casting your vote is one of the biggest, if not the most significant, decision you will make all year. Yet even though we live in a world where still individuals struggle and sacrifice and die for the right to vote, at the last General Election in 2010, only 54% of women my age voted. That means almost half of my female peers had no say in their democracy and the very laws which shape our nation and daily lives.
But here’s the catch: whether you take an interest in politics or not, it still directly impacts on your life every single day. From the sweeping general issues; the national economy (the strength of which determines how much tax you pay, whether jobs are being created and paying well, how affordable your mortgage is, and so on), the government services we all need to access at some point in our lives (the infrastructure and innovation the government invests in, the schools our future children will go to, the NHS we turn to when we’re sick) and the social policies that define us as a society (ensuring that every individual in our society enjoys equality of rights, how we treat those different to us, how we look after our most needy and vulnerable) to the specific; maternity leave, closing the gender pay gap, reproductive rights, equal marriage, the extent to which the government interferes in our private lives…. you get the picture.
Truthfully — despite what Karl Lagerfeld and his S/S’15 band of Chanel-clad protesters may suggest — it’s certainly not glamorous (and we shouldn’t actually ‘Vote Coco’, obviously), the characters rarely resemble President Bartlet or Sam Seaborn, and most days it feels more like a ruthless grind than a glorious victory. But oh, there is nothing more beautiful than a democracy in which, however briefly, we are all equal participants.
If you do just one thing that matters this week, then have your say at the ballot box. We owe it to the suffragettes and all those who are still yearning for that same right we get to exercise tomorrow.
Love, Miss B xx
Image via Pinterest (from Vogue Korea March 2015)
Great post. I love politics just as much as I love Miu Miu shoes and frankly I don’t see any contradiction in this, despite what some people may think.
I hope a lot of British women of our generation will go to the polling station tomorrow and try make a change or just have their voices heard. Being Italian I know how precious democracy and the right to vote are (my grandma didn’t have either) and never give them for granted.
Have a good Election Day!
x
B
I’m sorry I’m late, but just wanted to say thank you so much for such a kind, thoughtful comment (I wish all women echoed our enthusiasm for politics!)
B xx
LOVE this B – how eloquently put! Looking forward to casting my vote tomorrow xx
Thank you so much, Alex! I was reluctant to talk about my day job on here, but it is such a big deal I thought it was important.
B xx
Hear hear! As our MP friends would say. This is so true, and it’s so sad that women aren’t making sure that their voices are heard.
Fashion and politics are not interdependent – something you so beautifully illustrate every day!
I hope that we will be joined tomorrow by many other women casting their votes too xxx
Hear, hear! Couldn’t agree more.
B xx
Very well said! I’m so excited to vote today, it will be my first time voting in the UK. It really upsets me when people say they don’t care enough to vote, or they think that their vote doesn’t count. And the statistics about the percentage of young women voting make me sad. I’m really hoping it will be different this time!
I just wanted to say how much I appreciated your comment (and so exciting that you got to vote here for the first time!)
B xx
Yep Totally agree, It’s difficult because many politicians wont or cant come through on their promises once in power and real life kicks in, but the fact that people died so that we have this right cannot be ignored! Vote People!
http://thee-middlesister.blogspot.co.uk/
Exactly! We are so lucky to have this right, so we owe it to ourselves to care.
B xx
I couldn’t agree more. I think it would be fascinating to show people how much they pay in tax each year – then ask them to imagine giving that amount of money away to someone – with absolutely no say as to who that person was or what it was spent on. I reckon that might change a few minds.
YES! Couldn’t agree more.
B xx
Well said! I work for a humanitarian organisation and while my colleagues might roll their eyes at my leopard print pumps, I cherish each and every opportunity I have to engage in the democratic processes my colleagues in our country offices are still risking their lives to participate in.
I’m sorry I’m late, but just wanted to say how much I loved and appreciated your comment! I wish there were more women doing the incredible work that you do!
B xx
Beautifully stated.
Thank you so much!
B xx
Great post! An important topic and very well written! Love your blog, btw.
So kind of you to say, thank you!
B xx
Hi ! i knew your blog via bloglovin , i love it ! is look really cute and glamour .
I come from France , and i will live in Cambridge soon , so saw a fashion girl like you make shooting photo in this town is cool !
I had a blog too, is currently in French but i will make some post in English soon. Whatever i leave here the link if you want to have a look are not . ♡
xxx Juliet
➝ http://www.jabthelittleblondgirl.blogspot.com
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you love Cambridge as much as I do!
B xx