Stormzy has taken to social media in a rallying call to get YOU to register your vote, as we enter the final day to register your right to vote in the forthcoming 2019 General Election.
The grime artist posted an image of his now infamous Union Jack vest from his iconic Glastonbury performance earlier this year, on Instagram, with an in-depth message not only encouraging you to vote but also to tick the box for Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn.
Stormzy wrote: “It is very very very important that every single person who reads this goes and registers to vote. The deadline is 23:59 tomorrow, the link is in my bio. Do not just scroll past, don’t sit there and think “my one little vote ain’t gonna do anything”—your vote is CRUCIAL.”
The British star went on to suggest that this election was a once in a generation event, “Your ‘one little vote’ can quite literally tip the scale for what will be the most important election of our generation. Your “one little vote” means everything, there were millions of people who thought there “one little vote” didn’t mean sh*t and now Trump is the president of America and we are leaving the EU. So, your vote really does count.”
The 26-year-old then turned his attention to who he will be voting for, “I will be registering to vote, and I will be voting for Jeremy Corbyn. There are several reasons as to why I’m voting for him – I would be here all day if I began to list them…but in my 26 years of life I have never trusted politicians or relied on them to be the bearers of hope and righteous people that we’ve needed them to be. And for me, he is the first man in a position of power who is committed to giving the power back to the people and helping those who need a helping hand from the government the most.”
Stormzy went on to explain why he will not be voting for the Conservative party, saying, “I think Boris Johnson is a sinister man with a long record of lying and policies that have absolutely no regard for the people that our government should be committed to helping and empowering. I also believe it is criminally dangerous to give the most powerful role in the country to a man who has said that the sight of a “bunch of black kids” makes him “turn a hair”, compared women in burqas to letterboxes and referred to blacks people as “picaninnies” with “watermelon smiles”. I think it’s extremely dangerous to have a man with those views as the sole leader of our country.”
Storzmy then pushed followers to register their vote via the link in his Instagram bio and across his Instagram stories. Within ten minutes of Stormzy posting, some commentators noticed that the number of people registering to vote shot up from 4,5000 to 47,000. Owen Jones, the political commentator, also took to Twitterasking what had caused the surge.
The move by Stormzy came after he wrote an open letter to the Guardian with a selection of “musicians, artists, rappers and grime MCs,” pledging their vote to Labour because, “they offer an urgent alternative to the destructive policies of the Conservatives.” The letter also signed by the likes of Kano and Katy B went on to say it was the time to end austerity and rebuild our communities, concluding this, “Surely, in an election that could transform the livelihoods of many, and be the difference between life or death for many more, life is something worth voting for.”
Alongside Stormzy, the Game of Thrones star, Emilia Clarke took to social media posting a video calling for us to register our vote holding up signs with the voting deadline and concluding with a bicep flex and the statement, “You have a voice, USE IT!”
Other celebrities calling for our vote include Lily Allen, who posted a video on social media of her crying over the Labour Manifesto, praising it as, “the best manifesto I’ve ever seen.”
In an election which is said to be decisive for OUR futures despite 1.5 million under 35 year old’s registering to vote last month, two thirds of teenagers who are eligible to vote are yet to register their right to vote. On Friday 1000,000 under 25-year-olds registered to vote with a similar number of 25-34-year-olds also registering on that single day – according to The Independent. However, whilst this is a key demographic for Labour, the peak is far below the 620,000 who registered to vote in 2017.
With hours to go until the 23.59pm deadline – you be using your voice and registering your vote? CLICK HERE to register.
