12 March 2015

When Helen met… The Above and Beyond Party

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Helen, our Voice of a Generation reporter, met with two candidates in Sheffield for the Above and Beyond Party – Drew Carswell (19), standing in Cheadle, and Thom Brown (20) standing in Sheffield Central.

They say they don’t occupy any particular place on the political spectrum (maybe that’s why they’re ‘Above and Beyond’?) so what is the Above and Beyond Party and what do they stand for?

The guys are confident that they can attract a lot of non-voters to their cause. With 70% of 18-22 year olds saying they would consider voting ‘None of the above’ if it was an option on their ballot papers, they might be on to something.

They believe that not voting, particularly among younger voters, is not a sign of apathy and lack of interest in politics, but a signal that people are unimpressed with the choices on offer. They say they can offer people a genuine alternative to the main parties. So do they see it as a protest against the current political system in the UK?

Which leaves one question. Why are they doing it?

 

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