Today’s interview was with People Before Profit MLA for West Belfast, Gerry Carroll. The interview is also available on YouTube, SoundCloud and Spotify.
The first topic of discussion was votes at 16. Gerry stressed that his party supported it. We discussed the idea that young people are not as informed as older people, yet a large part of the older population would be unable to explain the inner workings of electoral systems or the allocation of ministers, ultimately rendering this argument invalid. We also discussed low turnout amongst younger voters, I put forward the idea that young people aren’t politically educated in schools and don’t build good habits of going out to vote. Gerry talked about how his party would like to enhance the education system both giving young people education about political systems and voting alongside education about to how different parts of society work.
The next topic was the NI Youth Assembly, People Before Profit have consistently shown support for the Youth Assembly, going as far as calling for funding for a Youth Assembly even in the event of Executive collapse akin to what we had in 2017. Gerry also put forward the idea of having a Ministerial question time for the Youth Assembly, it would entail a session every month giving young people a chance to question the 12 Ministers of the Executive.
We also discussed the proposed NI centenary celebrations. There had been clashes between the big 4 Nationalist and Unionist parties over whether to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of NI. Gerry explained that while PBP would not celebrate the creation of the Cruel conservative state south of the border or the discriminatory unionist government in the North. PBP would however engage in debate and discussion about how to navigate such a controversial issue. PBP would also choose to honour the revolutionaries who face persecution both North and South of the border, alongside the Protestants and Catholics who were forced out of work and homes.
The 4 words to ruin any dinner party “let’s talk about Brexit” PBP initially supported Brexit as ultimately it was not a right wing idea however it was pirated by right wing figures like Farage and Johnson, who contrasted with War criminals like the “detestable Tony Blair” and his top spin doctor Alastair Campbell. PBP however campaigned against a Tory Brexit and believed that any deal should go to the people of NI. A bit like young people Scotland and Northern Ireland were expected to “shut up” and accept Brexit despite both nations voting against it. PBP argue that Brexit was not just a binary issue and the first referendum was a campaign of misinformation and fear from both sides.
My interview with Gerry was extremely insightful and showed that PBP want to properly support young people on both sides of the border.
Gerry was very pleasant and I got the sense that he really believes in his party’s ideology. He spoke with real conviction and belief and it was a really enjoyable opportunity.
By Dermot Hamill
Youth Voice 