No going back

In part 3 of our week-long series on the importance of voting, UNITElive spoke to a retired train driver, now 90 years old, who understands exactly how high the stakes are come election time in May.

The ConDems relish the thought of returning to spending levels last seen in the 1930s, if the coalition parties keep power at the General Election.

Most people have no idea what that means, the exception being those who lived through the 30s.

And it is reminder to them of the importance of people power and the ballot box.

“The first general election I voted in was 1945,” said Neil Fletcher, once a train driver. Now 90 years old, he has always been registered to vote and voted in every general election since the first one for which he was eligible.

“I am old now, but then I was an indestructible 22-year-old.”

“It was the younger generation that made that difference in 1945,” he added. “We changed this country for the better — there was no way we were going back to the society we had in the 1930s.”

“We wanted hope for our generation and opportunities for our children,” Fletcher went on to say. “The vote gave us power in the voting booth on that day and we seized it.”

“We had come through the war; we were young people with the power of the vote. That gave us the power to change. Without it you don’t count for the politicians — your issues don’t even appear in their manifestoes.

“Those who came through the 30s remember it as a terrible time. It was austerity with a capital A, after the Wall Street crash and its aftermath, which continued throughout the 30s.

“Each time I hear the Tories speak about welfare crackdowns and austerity I hear echoes of their predecessors in the 1930s. They want a future that is my past and the past of millions like me.

“In 1945 we had the power of the vote and we used it to say ‘no turning back’”, Fletcher explained. “It’s the same situation now with the Tories relishing the thought of a return to the 30s.

“So register to vote, use the power you have as best you can. Don’t follow the Tories back in time — there is nothing there for you that is any good.”

Unlike registering to vote when Fletcher was a youth, registering now can be done with an easy click of the button. All you’ll need is your National Insurance number.

Once you’ve registered, join forces with Unite’s coalition campaign, #NoVoteNoVoice. You can find out more here. Tell all your friends and family and let’s seize this opportunity to create a better future for us all.