Straining through the conflicting cobwebs of British political opinions, you’re hard pressed to find a young female voice as articulate and accomplished as Maelo. A 19 year old Lib-Dem activist, Maelo has been passionate about educating herself on the vital importance of European politics after attending the Lib-Dem conference in 2010.


“I was going with my mum to the Lib Dem conferences in 2010, and I got really excited by it all. And I gave a speech at the conference when I was ten. I talked about the need for more open spaces in London for young people. Because I think there’s not enough funding for youth clubs and I’ve seen places shut down in my area where young people could go for free and so these children are stuck at home which leads to bad stuff…


They gave me a standing ovation at the end. I think they were trying to encourage me because I was ten. And it was amazing being able to have that sway at such a young girl in something that is so male-dominated. I understood it was a male-dominated thing at a young age.”


Since then, Maelo has actively petitioning in favor and against policies she feels passionately about, and runs a Lib-Dem blog commenting on up to date news in UK politics.


“I think there’s an image of inaccessibility and stuffiness in politics. There’s an organisation called ‘Bite the Ballot’ and I think that shows how your vote is your main form of change and not to ignore that is the main way to get the younger generation involved and to make sure that young people are consistently informed about their lives and are politically aware. Because I feel that it’s a privilege thing when people say that they’re not politically engaged because they don’t have to. I think if you show young people how they will be affected by policies then they won’t feel that privilege of distancing themselves. To engage and show how much you don’t have to be in Westminster to be involved in Politics. You can do it from your laptop.”