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“I Don’t Do Politics”

The Most Dangerous Lie You Tell Yourself

Why opting out isn’t rebellion — it’s surrender

“I’d vote for you, but I don’t do politics.”

It’s a phrase I hear often. Sometimes it’s said with a shrug, sometimes with a laugh. It frames not voting as a lifestyle choice — like choosing not to watch football or not to eat gluten. It implies that politics is just a noisy, optional drama you can unsubscribe from.

We usually hear the traditional argument for voting: the suffragettes, the wars, the history. All of that matters. It’s real and it’s important. But I’m not going to lecture you on history.

I want to talk about mathematics.

Politics Happens to You, Whether You Vote or Not

There is a dangerous misconception that if you ignore politics, politics will ignore you. It won’t. You might not take an interest in politics — but politics takes a huge interest in you.

Every single part of your daily life is shaped by political decisions made by people you didn’t vote for:

• The rent you pay? That’s housing policy
• The time you wait for a bus? That’s transport policy
• The price of your weekly shop? That’s trade policy
• The potholes in your road? That’s local government funding

When you say “I don’t vote,” you aren’t opting out of the system — you’re handing control of your life to someone else. You’re letting your landlord, your boss, and billionaire tax-exiles decide the rules of the game you have to play.

The “Do Not Disturb” Sign

Politicians are not sentimental. They are statistical. They know exactly who votes and who doesn’t. In the UK, older people and homeowners vote in large numbers. Young people and renters vote in far smaller numbers.

So guess who gets listened to.

We protect pensions and house prices, while rents explode and the cost of your groceries rise. This isn’t a conspiracy — it’s cold, hard calculation. If a politician knows you won’t vote, they have no incentive to care about you.

By not voting, you are effectively wearing a sign that says:

“You can ignore me. I won’t do anything about it.”

Apathy Is Consent

Many people say they don’t vote because they’re angry. They say the system is rigged, the parties are all the same, and they refuse to participate in something they see as broken.

I understand that anger. I share it. But here’s the truth: silence is interpreted as consent.

When you stay at home, the establishment doesn’t see protest — it sees permission. They don’t think, “We must change.” They think, “Great. One less person we have to worry about.”

Not voting isn’t rebellion. It’s surrender. It’s looking at the state of the country — the crumbling schools, the sewage-filled rivers, the food banks — and shrugging.

The “Perfect Candidate” Myth

Then there’s the trap of waiting for the “perfect” politician. “I’ll vote when I find someone I agree with 100%.” You never will. You don’t even agree with your partner or your best friend 100% of the time. Politics isn’t a marriage — it’s public transport.

You don’t wait for the bus that drops you at your front door. You get on the one that takes you closer to where you want to go.

Use Your Power

So to anyone thinking of sitting this one out: I don’t care who you vote for. Obviously, I’d love you to vote Green. I’d love you to vote for real change.

But more than that, I just want you to be in the room.

Don’t let other people decide your future. Don’t let the wealthy and the comfortable have the final say. The system may be broken — but it’s the only one we have.

If you want to fix it, you have to pick up the tools.

Don’t surrender.

Vote.