The saboteur’s guide to General Election 2017: 8 ways YOU can make a difference

Only 66% of Brits voted in 2015 and there have been suggestions that, because of poll fatigue, 2017 could see the lowest turnout since Tony Blair’s ‘apathy election’ victory in 2001, when only 59.5% voted.

You can count on the Brexiteers showing up, so we must too. If you have moved recently or have never voted, you will need to register by May 22nd.

You can find out whether you are already on the electoral register at your current address by checking with your local electoral registration office at YourVoteMatters.co.uk

If not, you can register online at www.gov.uk. It takes around five minutes.

MORE: Find out everything you need to know about registering to vote

2) FUND GINA MILLER’S BEST FOR BRITAIN PROJECT

The pro-EU campaigner who was demonised for her court challenge over Article 50 has launched a crowdfunded tactical voting initiative aimed at ‘supporting candidates who campaign for a real final vote on Brexit, including rejecting any deal that leaves Britain worse off.’

Her Best For Britain campaign is here

3) GET A POSTAL VOTE IF YOU’RE AWAY

Though Theresa May has avoided half-term by a week, many voters will already have booked holidays on election day. To get a postal vote, you need to apply by post – the forms can be downloaded from www.gov.uk. The deadline is May 23rd (but you will have to be registered to vote before that).

4) PUT OUR POSTERS IN YOUR WINDOWS

Wherever you live, the next few weeks will see a forest of pro-Brexit guff being posted through your letterbox. If you live in a marginal constituency, things are even worse – you run the very real risk of answering a knock on the door to find Paul Nuttall or Boris Johnson on your doorstep.

You can ward off the forces of Brexit by decorating your windows with either or both of the posters which are downloadable here and in the centre pages of the April 21-April 27 issue of The New European.

5) ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO VOTE

It’s estimated that only 64% of 18 to 24-year-olds turned out to vote in the referendum. That is dwarfed by the 90% of those aged 65 and over who went to the polls and are thought to have swung the final result by backing Brexit, 64% to 36%.

A post-EU Britain is likely to contain all manner of bad news for young people. If exiting the single market results in a recession, then the lessons of 2008 are painfully clear – last time around, according to the Centre for European Reform, youth unemployment in the UK rose to a level nearly four times higher than general unemployment and young people who stayed in a job saw the biggest wage falls of any age group.

The outlook doesn’t look any rosier for the young in the low-wage, low-protection economy of Liam Fox’s wet dreams. This is a crossroads election for the young; do what you can to encourage them to participate.

6) WRITE TO YOUR MP…

Support is growing for a referendum on whatever final exit deal is agreed with the EU. The best way to find out whether your MP will support this is to contact them. There is a comprehensive list of contact details at Parliament.UK or you can email your MP via TheyWorkForYou.com ()

7) …AND FOLLOW JO MAUGHAM’S FLOWCHART

The Brexiteer-baiting QC posted this on his Twitter earlier this week – until more comprehensive advice arrives it’s a good place to start when deciding how to use your vote

8) SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEW EUROPEAN AND FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Please support our continuing work to defeat Brexit in the face of our dishonest and vicious adversaries. You can subscribe to our paper by telephone on 01858 438840, quoting CTNEAP7A, or online at theneweuropean.co.uk. Follow us on Twitter @theneweuropean and like The New European page on Facebook.