Television presenter and singer Jamelia told supporters at a Labour rally this week in Birmingham about her motivations for voting for the first time in her life.
“We have been absolutely — as community and as a society — truly suffering at the hands of a Tory government,” she said. “And a lot of us kind of feel we can’t do anything about it — but your vote means so much.
“What we need at the moment is hope. A lot of people are questioning ‘how is this gonna happen? How is he gonna make this happen?’ I believe that if this is the intention then why would I not support this and support something [against events that are]quite clearly catastrophic to us all.”
Jamelia revealed that she had never voted before and that she would cast her first vote on December 12 with her 18 year old daughter.
She said:
“Labour for me provided the society that I grew up in. That’s a type of society that I was able to thrive and fulfil my potential in. I want that for every child, not just those with parents with money.
“I believe that a vote for a Labour government is going to deliver that.”
Education policies launched
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke at the event alongside Angela Rayner, Shadow Education Secretary, and trade union leaders.
There were also appearances from the BeatFreeks Collective, Kioko and UB40’s Jimmy Brown.
Ahead of the event Angela Rayner said:
“I’m excited to be in Birmingham tonight to bring our message of hope that Labour will build a fairer, more equal Britain that cares for everyone and where wealth and power are shared.”
Earlier that day Labour had launched several education policies including:
- Reversing cuts to the Pupil Premium
- Extending free school meals at secondary school to every child whose family is in receipt of Universal Credit
- Capping the cost of school uniforms
The event was a chance for members to hear from trade unions about these proposals.
Accusations of media bias
Earlier that day, the Labour Party wrote to the BBC accusing the organisation of “slanted and biased” election coverage.
It also accused the BBC of being “complicit in giving the Conservative Party an unfair electoral advantage.”
Jamelia said she thought media coverage of the campaign had been unfair:
“Of course they are, but the media are absolutely controlled by the Conservatives, we know this. And for me as someone in the entertainment industry I know this firsthand, you know there are so many things that you’re not allowed to say and it all contributes to a media agenda that is definitely not for socialism or any kind of socialist politics.
“But you know I feel that the people are louder than the intention of the media and as long as we can maintain our sanity and our intelligence then I do believe that on the 12th we can vote in a Labour government.”
You can listen to the full interview below:
Reporting by Dylan Hayward and Saskia Masaun
