By Assia Hamdi, BA Arabic and History
Grime artists and representatives such as AJ Tracy, Skepta and JME felt ‘used’ by the Labour Party in 2017. But what does this mean for the upcoming elections?
Grime4Corbyn was a movement initiated in 2017. It incorporates famous grime artists alongside the arsenal of hashtags, tweets, music, and visual art leading to an interest in current political affairs amongst the youth.
The campaign intended to connect the energy of the youth to the heart of politics, which shattered the stereotype of youth apathy in politics. It seemed when the election rhetoric included issues such as minimum wage, tuition fees, and worker’s rights, the youth could be interested. The 2017 elections saw a turn out of 60% of ages 18-24 voting for Labour compared to the 43% in the previous election, two years prior.
However, after the elections, Labour’s defeat led to supporters and participants of the Grime4Corbyn movement feeling that Corbyn ‘didn’t capitalise’ on the support he had amongst the youth. The disappointment post-election and mismanagement of the relationship fostered in 2017, led to a lack of revival of the Grime4Corbyn in these weeks leading up to the December elections.
Despite the lack of visibility of Grime4Corbyn as a campaign, the campaign lives on in different ways. DIY events organised by the likes of Fckgovtfckboris, which include Grime4Corbyn members, have been galvanising the support of the youth in creative, carefree ways. These include parties, self-organised Fckboris bingo, and vibrant art. A dazzling light show, campaign bus, and live parade in Uxbridge and South Ruislip on Saturday 16 November continued the trend of garnering youth support for socialist politics.
A huge social media wave of hashtags, stories, and tweets have crashed timelines, reminding young people to register to vote. Statements that Boris wanted an early election to avoid students voting have led to an overwhelming number of people registering to vote (Gov.uk voter registration). Etonian Boris Johnson has been outsmarted by millions of students, including an increasing amount of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Meme pages on Instagram with millions of followers such as @imjustbait, shared gifs and memes that continue to support Labour and crown Corbyn as the best leader for the future of Britain. Youth apathy has turned into a more offensive reaction of disappointment and refusal of the current British political situation. Although Grime4Corbyn seems to have disappeared into the shadows in 2019, the legacy of its message and aims endure in the minds of the youth, and the memes of Boris.
Credit: Fckgov fckboris Facebook