Is there a political party for me? I don’t think right now there is
In his latest Martin Shipton Meets podcast, our chief reporter talks to Theo DaviesLewis, a 20-year-old Oxford student from Llanelli who pioneered the idea of a Youth Parliament for Wales and is now campaigning for a statue of Jim Griffiths, the first Sec
AYOUNG campaigner has said he finds it embarrassing that he has had to spearhead a move to commemorate a former deputy leader of the Labour Party in the town he represented for 32 years.
The idea of campaigning for a statue of Jim Griffiths to be erected in Llanelli – where he was MP from 1938 until 1970, and the first Secretary of State for Wales from 1964 to 1966 – came to Theo Davies-Lewis after conversations with his mother.
Speaking in a Martin Shipton Meets podcast, he said: “From reading about Jim over the last year, I thought nobody knows who he is – not one young person in Llanelli would know a lot about him.
“I’ve written a few articles about him now. It’s been in the media, and it’s generated interest. It’s something that has been really pleasing for me – more than anything I’ve done. You can’t really criticise a campaign like this. I don’t know if a statue will happen – I don’t think it will, because funds are tight for most things these days.
“But what I think it shows is the embarrassment from the Labour Party. I’m not a member of any party, but why have I had to do this, 40 years after his death? They’ve completely forgotten about him really,
“I think it goes back to the fact that he was a bit of a character: he stood up for the Welsh language, he campaigned for devolution, for a Parliament for Wales in the 1950s. No-one else was really doing that at that time. He was a very principled man – he really believed in these things and went for it.
“I’ve listened to stories from people and I think it’s really important to remember him for his contribution.”
Asked when he had first taken an interest in politics, Davies-Lewis said: “I first started getting interested at the time of the Scottish referendum [on independence in 2014]. I’m not from a political family. My mum’s a florist and generations before her were florists. My dad is an HR director.
“During that referendum I started thinking about politics. I remember sitting in the common room [at Llandovery College] and watching the referendum. I was the only one watching it – but that’s when I started getting into it. And after that, I emailed you about politics and how young people could get into it more.”
Asked what had stopped more young people getting involved in politics, he said: “There’s a few things recently you can pick up on. There was an article – I think it was in the Spectator – about how much it actually costs to stand as an MP. Why should you commit to public life, getting scrutinised and criticised on a daily basis when you could make much more money in the City or something.
“If you look at the cost of getting involved in politics now, I think it’s gone up quite a lot – there have been a few recent surveys about that. So it’s the scrutiny and the criticism you get, I think. There are many jobs you can do now – it’s a diversified market.
“It’s the same as journalism – they’re so volatile, there’s no job security. Now, young people are far more astute, and looking at how they can have careers. Maybe I should be a bit more like that.
“But I think there’s not been enough bodies, not been enough engagement from politicians with young people generally. And a lot of young people say people just brush that away. But it is true. “I think it’s particularly been the case with devolution. In Scotland we’ve seen this huge engagement, like with the referendum, whereas in Wales we really haven’t had a moment or a process or elections that have engaged us to a significant extent.”
He said that while he didn’t take credit for the Youth Parliament in Wales happening – the first election is shortly to take place – he thought he had played a small part: “I remember emailing you, telling you about a proposal I’d put to the First Minister, which he rejected.
“It probably wasn’t the best written proposal I’ve ever done, but really I think what I was doing – which is a bit different to other people – was being happy to go and talk to journalists and sit in front of the camera as a 16 year-old and a 17 year-old.
“And that’s why people picked up on it. Elections for a Youth Parliament are now happening – that’s great, and I think it’s a body that can be useful to talk about votes at 16 as well.
“But really if we look at people like me who aren’t 14 or 15 but are 20 years old – should I be going into politics? What’s the incentive for me? Is there a party for me? I don’t think right now there is.”
Asked about his core beliefs, and why he had more recently shown a greater interest in the media than in politics, Davies-Lewis said: “I think I really enjoyed doing the media stuff – I’ve done loads of [work] placements.
“I think it was more me as a person changing my personality. I was more curious about the world rather than developing a policy that did this or that. I was thinking more about different stories, different ideas about journalism.
“My core beliefs – I’d say I’m pretty socially liberal, maybe even a conservative with a small c. But I think now it’s very difficult for me to find a party – I am left of centre, that’s what I’d probably say I am – that would actually take me.
“I don’t think I’m the sort of person to go into politics after university because it doesn’t suit the creative stuff I’ve done.”
Asked whether as a young person he saw the downside of social media, Davies-Lewis said: “Of course you look at the downside of social media in every aspect. I use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat. I’ve never been the subject of much abuse at all on there, but I think it all goes back to humans and mental health.
“With young people, especially in politics, we’ve seen recently with Hilary Benn’s daughter being castigated for calling out antisemitism or whatever. I think it is the responsibility of these parties to take action over it.
“The antisemitism in Labour, I think, has been quite distasteful. I think we’re now at this point in politics where you don’t really see what the solution is at first glance. And it’s a huge problem.
“What I’d also say, though, if you look at the Welsh Assembly and how things are done there, I don’t think there’s enough conflict in terms of theatre debate.
“It would be nice, I think, to see a bit more debate happening in the Assembly.
“Every single person I’ve spoken to recently, whether they’re young or old, just doesn’t care. A bit of conflict is fine, as long as it’s not attacking anyone personally and causing a controversy which affects people emotionally.”