BY JON COOMBES

Voter apathy is an issue that is highly prevalent in today’s young voters.

According to research carried out by the BCC, 63 per cent of 18 year olds are interested in politics.

However, the same number said they are disenchanted with the political system specifically because of the behaviour of politicians and political parties.

Almost two thirds of the young people surveyed said that political parties were not interested in the things that mattered to young people.

Russell Brand offers young people a fresh alternative to the established political system of Britain.

Brand, who has almost 10 million Twitter followers and more than one million subscribers to his YouTube channel, has used the platform of social media to his advantage in connecting with young people on a greater personal level than many mainstream political figures.

By directly challenging the financial and political structures that make up the British establishment, Brand is tuning into the emotions of many young people who feel they are hopeless in their ability to enact change.

His YouTube videos captivate young people with their catchy titles such as 'is it your fault you're poor?' and 'should people smoke weed?' actively engaging young people into the realm of political debate.

Although Brand if often criticised for his views on not voting and his legitimacy as a political actor, the fact that Brand’s actions are encouraging young people to take part in the realm of political debate can surely be viewed as a positive outcome.