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A zine aimed to promote political education + awareness

avoided paying income tax

Is the monarchy still needed?

His father was a toolmaker. :0 wow!

As a teenager I hear a lot of people say: 'I don't care about politics' or 'I can't be arsed to vote'

And though I understand this feeling, politics shapes and impacts everything.
From our rights to our schools.
From angry neighbours at council meetings to the high court.

With 16-year-olds getting the vote I fear plenty of us won't be fully informed, and many won't vote at all.
^^(The more people from all backgrounds that vote, the fairer our country becomes)

I can't stress enough that this DOESN'T mean just voting how your friends or parents do.
In order to shape a better future, you must educate yourself and look at each party with scrutiny.

Look at their promises: Do they align with your morals and values?
Are the promises achievable?
Do they contradict what they have said previously?
Why do people support them? Why don't people support them?

NHS
Welfare
Immigration

Everyone has different opinions on how the country should be run. But at the very least you want to ensure that that those in power have your best interests at heart.

Do your research on referendums, local elections and general elections. If not a huge amount, just a baseline amount of knowlege can be hugely beneficial.

Your future and your potential children's future depends on who is and who will be governing over our lives.

And if you want to get even more involved, speak to your local MP about local politics.
YOU could even become an MP one day, which could lead you to becoming Prime Minister.

This is especially important if you're state educated (not private school), are part of a minority group or are from a working-class background.
These groups of people are underrepresented in politics, leading to a more biased and uninformed government.

No matter what your current grades are, where you're from or what school you go to, you have the potential to do something important in this country.

I'm sick of my peers believing they 'aren't the type' to do something great, or it's 'too much effort'.

It's perfectly valid not to aim for something as insane as PM, but just because you don't fit the rich/upper-middle-class white boy from Eton, doesn't mean you can't.

There's a SEVERE lack of opportunity for many people in the UK due to social and class barriers, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to be a politician or anything else
^^(this type of inequality needs to be fought)

You can also make your voice heard through protests. Organised, large protests happen all the time, and they are often successful in pressuring the government to enact bills or changes.

Protesting gives a voice to the people. Anyone can set one up or participate, and there's power in numbers

Protest is a fundamental cornerstone to democracy.

Politics isn't just manifestos and Prime Ministers, it can be a rebellion against an unfair system and a push for a better future. I argue that all graffiti is inherently political, as it challenges social norms through a devalued form of self expression

Don't agree with something? Make a noise about it!

The less politically educated someone is, the easier it is for news outlets and politicians to deceive, lie and push a rhetoric to put or keep them in power.

Rallying chants, emotional speeches and explosive headlines are all designed to make you angry (or any other heightened emotion) in order to win you over without facts

Facts and figures can be skewed or cherry-picked to support a viewpoint.
It is so important to look at different viewpoints + news outlets to avoid getting stuck in a bubble.

EVERYTHING IS NUANCED!
QUESTION EVERYTHING!

Some resources related to the stuff I've just yapped about

Learn about your rights to protest --> https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/advice_information/right-to-protest/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/videos/c0jpp8zzv83o <-- Improve your critical thinking!

Request an educational workshop --> https://learning.parliament.uk/en/outreach-online-workshop-request-form-community-groups/

https://petition.parliament.uk/ <-- Sign a petition!

https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP <-- Contact your local MP

https://thejournalcatacombs.substack.com/p/how-to-improve-your-media-literacy --> An AMAZING resource on how to improve your media literacy!

Credits
All drawings by me
all cut outs from THE BIG ISSUE < Go buy one!
0% AI was used in the making of this zine

With inspo from:
70s+80s punk scene
KNEECAP
Christopher Eccleston
my mates
The lack of political education in schools
CavityCollector's zine on neocities
The lack of media literacy in the UK
The government
Political comment sections

(Smiski, Pokémon, MLP + spooky cat stickers also used)