ED MILIBAND'S Q&A @ SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY

Ed Miliband talking at Sheffield Hallam's Student Union

I'm not going to lie, when I was first asked to attend Labour Party leader Ed Miliband's Q&A session at Sheffield Hallam University, I wasn't exactly overjoyed. I couldn't see how the event would be relevant to me as a student and also what benefit I'd get from it as someone who deems all politicians as being as bad as one another.

But yet, looking back, I am so glad I did attended the Q&A. Ed Miliband took countless questions from students - covering everything from lowering tuition fees to the potential banning of SnapChat. However for me, the most important thing that the Labour leader highlighted during his talk, was that under the current coalition government over 1 million people have been 'dropped' from the electoral roll and need to re-register. The majority of those who are unable to vote are students who are unaware that, come May, they won't be able to vote in the general election. This struck a chord with me, it made me realise that I won't be a student forever and that the government elected in this general election will oversee me leaving university and entering the 'big, bad real world'. The idea of not being able to have a say in who will be running the country whilst I'm trying to find my feet in the world is terrifying. But even more so when I'd lose my say over something as simple as not being registered to vote because of a mistake that wasn't of my doing. This is why the current government need to admit their mistakes and urge universities to encourage students to re-register to get on the electoral roll. After all, as Ed Miliband said during his Q&A: "Your job, your education, your home, your future depends on who wins this election." So Stand Up & Be Counted.

Piece done for Sky SUBC - 2015