It’s election day! Why voting matters as an LLM

Today, most eyes are on the Scottish elections. But there are also elections here in London. Sadiq Khan is seeking re-election as Mayor of London and 25 London Assembly seats are up for grabs. The Mayor of London has the single largest political mandate of all UK politicians with a constituency of 6.2m voters.

Key issues include jobs, housing, policing, knife crime, pollution, and (green) transportation.

This year has motivated me more than ever to vote.

Students were quick to be told what we could and couldn’t do by everyone. But students were also last to hear anything about the lifting of restrictions on uni life.

COVID testing should have been introduced locally when the Government and universities failed to do so for an entire year.

Apart from these considerations, I think all LLMs should be interested in elections. Voting strengthens trust in democracy; it strengthens the rule of law and governmental accountability in the face of alternative and competing styles of government.

LLMs should also be able form well-founded opinions on public policy. A first law degree may primarily focus on what the law is and how it is interpreted. But a postgraduate law degree, like the LLM at King’s, additionally covers to some extent what the practical implications of legal interpretations are and what the law should be.

For LLMs, I think it’s essential to gain background knowledge in the political system and culture when studying abroad. It will contribute to your understanding of the law and the turf battles surrounding legislation. For example, in the UK overall, the main political actors are the Conservative and Labour parties, but independent movements prevail in Scotland, which has devolved powers.

As a law student, I can’t miss the opportunity to express my opinion. The power of opinion is exactly what law students are good for.

And if the Government wants to compel me (as a non-UK student) to complete the UK Census by way of criminal sanctions, then you bet I’m going to vote as well.

For those of you who plan on staying in the UK after the LLM, registering to vote and being on the electoral roll has a positive effect on your credit score.

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