Professor Atul Shah, lecturer at the Department of International Politics at City, University of London, has asked me to write a short ‘autobiography’ style piece centred around the theme of ‘Politics Begins at Home’. I hope anyone reading this finds it interesting.
“Murder investigation launched after spate of stabbings in Croydon”; “Croydon tops league for knife crimes in London schools”; “permanent exclusions in Croydon schools on the rise”. These are the sorts of headlines I have been exposed to since childhood.
Growing up in Croydon, south London, has certainly shaped my worldview. I have seen and experienced inequality, poverty and crime. It is therefore no wonder, I was politicised at a very young age.
Attending The Archbishop Lanfranc School was arguably where it all began. It was a sharp contrast to my primary school where everyone was innocent and care-free. Lanfranc was one of the most notorious schools in the borough – at the time, it was performing poorly with examinations results, the run-down building was slowly crumbling down (quite literally) and many of the students were known by the police. By the time I was in Year 8, there was a heavy police presence at the entrances along with metal detectors and knife arches. It felt more like a prison at times rather than a school. Being exposed to that sort of environment can make one question why is this the case? Why does this not happen in other, more affluent areas? I soon came to the realisation that there was a link between poverty and crime and that children in poorer areas were far more likely to end up in crime or less well-paid jobs than their wealthier peers. It all came down to structural inequality. And when my school became an Academy, I noticed more (indirect) discriminatory policies: permanent exclusions. In a bid to improve the school’s exam results, poorly behaved students who subsequently performed worse in class were excluded. This did more harm than good for the pupil – instead of addressing their issues, the school left excluded children with nowhere to go other than the streets. This story was repeated across most Academies.
The final straw for me was the government’s austerity policy. They may have had their own reasons for it, but to me, I saw 20,000 fewer police officers, 760 youth centres being closed and the education sector being subject to the worst spending fall since the 1970s.
There were many things I didn’t agree on with the former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, but this was one of the issues he was particularly well-spoken about. By the time I was at Sixth Form I decided to join the Labour Party. I knew they were strong opponents against austerity and recognised the link between poverty and crime – something I wish the government took a more hands-on approach with to address the issues rampaging within society.
My desire to personally speak up about issues started when I became Head Boy at my school. I was able to use my position to listen to other students’ opinions to bring about change. I decided to use social media, particularly the likes of Twitter, to voice my views further. This allowed me to become more aware of other issues sweeping across the country that were usually not highlighted in the media.
When the 2019 general election was announced, I became an active campaigner in and around Croydon. I worked with other Labour members to re-elect my MP and to raise awareness about structural inequality. It was during one canvassing session that I was talking to my MP about what career I would like to pursue in the future when he offered me to come into his constituency office to see if I like the idea of casework. I shadowed his staff and was quickly intrigued. I knew whatever career I pursued in the future, it would have to revolve around helping others and giving back to the people – whether that be teaching or a role in managing community projects for example. Since then, I have been a permanent volunteer at my MPs office for over a year, carrying out casework on his behalf. My main duties at the office include talking to constituents and listening to their problems. I then write to government departments to address their issues and try to reach a solution. There are times it can be mentally draining, especially the more complex cases, but ultimately, it is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done as I am able to help people from my own community.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many more inequalities have been exposed. The virus can be contracted by anyone, and yet, it is people from BAME backgrounds who are the most susceptible to it. The contrast between ethnic minority people and white people dying from the virus is staggering. It re-emphasised my earlier ideas about poverty. Having worked at a supermarket for almost five years, I have built a strong rapport with many of my regular customers. I hear their stories – how many have lost their jobs or else are struggling to survive on Universal Credit – and it saddens me that there are so many people still unable to make ends meet in the world’s sixth richest country.
I know I am not the only person who has seen what I have described above – and I certainly won’t be the last. For as long as structural inequality, poverty and crime, as well as other factors such as schooling and public sector cuts are not addressed, nothing will change. Society needs a change and society needs it now. I am halfway through my time at City and I still do not have a definitive answer to what career I would pursue after my studies. All I know is I will want to do something where I can give back to the people and encourage change for the better. If there’s one thing I would hope for, it’s that people realise politics does indeed begin at home. I would hope those from similar socio-economic backgrounds to me are never discouraged from speaking up about issues they have seen. I would encourage them to fight for what they believe in and to play their part in making society a fairer place for everyone.
The City Politics Blog is launching a new initiative: Politics Begins at Home.
Following on Ajwadul Islam’s excellent first piece, we are inviting submissions from the student body about what motivated them to study politics, international politics, history, and so on.
Tell us a bit about yourself, how you got interested in your subject, and what motivates you in your studies at City!
Submissions should be between 500 – 1,000 words with selected essays being published on the City Politics Blog.
Submissions can be sent to politicsblog@city.ac.uk