The upcoming London mayoral election features a record-breaking number of candidates; a total of twenty will appear on the ballot. These include Count Binface (formerly known as Lord Buckethead), Max Fosh, and Niko Omilana. Omilana is the second most popular candidate in the 18-24 age group after incumbent Sadiq Khan. 19% of young people are prepared to vote for him, despite him having never held any form of political office. Niko is leader of the Niko Defence League (NDL), an organisation he founded in response to the far-right, Islamophobic EDL.
Some have argued that there is an increasing sentiment of apathy against anything political. However, I would disagree. The past year has been exceptionally formative for many young people, who have been politicised by recent events. These include the Government's handling of the pandemic, November’s presidential election, the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent rise of Black Lives Matter.
Politics has become increasingly important. For many, pandemic-era policies such as successive lockdowns have unmasked the true power of our governments. Leaders such as Donald Trump have attained a cult-following and revolutionised the manner in which we view politicians.
