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Mete Coban Is Working to Engage Younger Voters in British Politics


This article is excerpted from a special report on Athens Democracy Forumwill convene this week in the Greek capital to examine ways in which self-governance can develop.


Mete Coban was involved in politics from a very young age: He joined Britain’s Labor Party at the age of 14, encouraged by a teacher, who noticed his knack for debating in class.

At the age of 21, Mr Coban was elected to local government in Hackney borough, east London. He has worked for that community as an elected councilor ever since, and is currently a cabinet member in charge of environment and transport.

Now 30, Mr. Coban – whose parents moved to the UK from northern Cyprus in 1995 – also runs a non-profit called My Life My Say, defines itself as “a youth-led non-partisan movement whose mission is to change the culture of democracy and get young people to vote”.

The young politician has served as an advisor to Mayor Sadiq Khan of London, a fellow Labor politician, and was part of an advisory council set up by former Prime Minister David Cameron during the process. prepare for the 2016 Brexit referendum, in which Britons voted to leave the European Union.

In 2020, under Mr Cameron’s Conservative successor, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Mr Coban received a coveted honor in recognition of the positive impact of his work: He became a Member of Parliament. member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

In a recent interview, Mr. Coban talked about his political career, and how he worked to encourage young people to vote.

The following conversation has been edited and condensed.

Why did you get involved so early in youth suffrage?

Coming of age in East London, you don’t really have a choice but to become political. I grew up in Hackney, one of the most deprived counties in the UK

My mother is a care worker and my father is a taxi driver. My brother and I will go to my local youth club after school. Even if it was closed. There is always a feeling of abandonment and helplessness.

Why do you feel abandoned and helpless?

Hackney is one of those areas that is not a concern to the government or the ruling politicians, because it provides no economic benefit, does not contribute to the wider city. We never had any real investment in our schools, in our housing programs – until the 2012 London Olympics, when there was a big change in the region.

When I was very young, I realized that unless people who looked like me joined, no one would represent the interests of my community. So I decided to run for political office at the age of 20, and became a councilor at the age of 21.

Too young to run for office and become a councilor.

Yes, the average age of a councilor when I first ran for office in the UK was 66. I was pretty scared. But then I come from a background where you have nothing to lose. You become numb when you are told that you cannot achieve anything.

When I first knock on the door, people will say things like, “Maybe you should finish college first,” or “Go to school,” or “Maybe you need to get some work done before you go to college.” this” – those are very ignorant and patronizing comments, because I’ve been working since I was 16, in a call center and selling hot dogs in a football stadium.

Why did you set up My Life My Say in 2013?

It was really important for us to figure out how to appeal to the large groups of people who were lacking in our democracy. At that time, mainstream political parties made no effort to attract young people, because they did not see them as vote winners.

Another purpose of My Life My Say is to amplify the voices of young people. People assume that young people are a large homogenous group. In fact, there are many different intersections. For example, if you are a young woman, you face a number of different challenges. If you are a young woman of color, you face even more challenges. Clearly, class plays a role.

How did you convince young people to register to vote?

In voter registration campaigns for the 2017 and 2019 elections, we partnered with brands like Tinder. If you were 18 to 24 years old the week before the voter registration deadline, and if you swipe left or right on Tinder to search for a date, an ad appears that says: “Hey, you’re registered to vote not yet? Otherwise, swipe right. It will take you directly to the government website and you can sign up in two minutes. “

How did you convince Tinder to go with that?

We were helped by the prime minister at the time, David Cameron. In the run-up to the 2016 EU referendum, we sat in an advisory body to the government on democratic participation. He convinced major tech companies to partner with organizations that were part of that body and essentially opened the doors.

Why do young people feel disconnected from politics?

Lack of trust. We have a poll that happens every six months. The latest results show that 53% of young people do not trust politicians. They don’t feel like the system works for them. Their expectations were too high, because of the lack of education in politics and democracy. And politicians make promises they never make again.

Then there’s Boris Johnson, who’s kept people isolated for the whole year, and meanwhile, is partying at his office on Downing Street.

Is Mr Johnson and the so-called Partygate scandal harmful to your career?

Sure. The Partygate scandal is an irreparable damage that will take a generation to reverse. Now, when you tell young people why politics is important, they say, “That’s not true. The Prime Minister makes rules that will break his own rules, and nothing happens to him. He was fined £50 and continued his work. “

Isn’t Boris Johnson the prime minister who gave you an MBE?

Yes he is. But the prime ministers acknowledge those who don’t necessarily look them in the eye on every issue, or who may not necessarily be a political fit for them.

What did the honor system mean to you before you became an MBE?

Growing up in Hackney, the only way for you to succeed in life was if you became a sports star or a musician. I’ve only heard of the honor system because football star David Beckham or tennis star Tim Henman were honored. Otherwise, it’s not something I’d normally associate with someone like me get. So I was quite surprised when I received it.

Do you aspire to high positions?

I love change. I love what I do right now. I control a £280 million ($320 million) budget in Hackney – everything from keeping our streets clean to collecting trash to responding to climate change. But obviously, if there’s an opportunity where I can change on a larger scale, I’d love to pursue that.



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