From graduation gowns to ballot papers – the concerns never change

Originally published in the 24 October 2026 edition of Cyprus Today.

I AM in London this week for my daughter’s graduation ceremony at Imperial College. For a few days, my main role is to be a proud father, take photographs and wonder how the child I once took to school and wanted to be nothing but a princess has reached this stage of her life so quickly.

Graduation belongs to the children, of course, although parents feel they deserve a small certificate too. Something recognising years of encouragement, worrying and being told that we do not understand.

But a journalist never quite switches off, and following the news here, I find myself thinking about home.

Britain and North Cyprus are very different places, yet some of the arguments sound remarkably familiar. By the way I do feel lucky to be able to call both home.

The cost of living, the price of a home, opportunities for young people and the quality of basic services all raise the same question: why does getting on with an ordinary life feel so difficult?

With the October 28 Budget approaching, Britain is discussing how the government can help families while keeping public finances under control.

Reuters reported last week that ministers were preparing support funded through taxes or spending decisions rather than extra borrowing.

We know this conversation well in North Cyprus. Governments explain the limits of their budgets, while families try to make their own budgets last until the end of the month. The difference is that families cannot hold a press conference when the money runs out.

There is often a gap between the way politicians describe the economy and the way people experience it.

A minister may point to growth or announce a wage increase, but a family wants to know whether it can afford the shopping, pay the electricity bill and put a little money aside.

Our circumstances are different. In North Cyprus, earning in Turkish lira while facing major expenses in sterling and Euros creates a particular difficulty.

You can find yourself following exchange rates with the enthusiasm other people reserve for football, although there is considerably less cheering.

Wherever people live, they judge the economy by what their income allows them to do.

Attending a graduation also makes it hard to avoid thinking about what comes after university.

The Financial Times reported last week on growing competition for internships in Britain, showing how difficult even the first step towards a career can be.

As parents, we tell our children to study and work hard because education will give them choices. We celebrate when they succeed, but we also worry about the world they are entering.

Will they find work that makes use of what they have learned? Will the salary cover their needs? Will they be able to build a life of their own?

These questions matter just as much in North Cyprus, where we regularly hear that young people are our future. That is easy to say during an election campaign.

The harder task is to create opportunities, recruit people fairly and give them a reason to believe their effort will be rewarded.

There is nothing wrong with young people wanting to live abroad. I grew up in Britain, spent a great deal of time in Istanbul and I understand the value of experiencing different places.

But leaving because you want to explore is different from leaving because you cannot see a future at home.

Housing is a large part of that decision. A graduate considering a job in London must think about rent alongside the salary.

A promising job can look rather less promising once you discover how much of your income buys the privilege of keeping your belongings in a small room.

Back home, a young person looking at property prices in pounds faces a similar problem. How does an ordinary local salary provide a route to owning a home?

We cannot celebrate rising property prices without asking who can afford them. For someone who owns property, an increase may be welcome. For someone trying to buy their first home, it can mean another year of waiting.

Basic services provide another familiar subject. This week, the argument over Thames Water has again brought essential utilities into the British news.

The public’s expectations are straightforward: a reliable service, a fair bill and someone who takes responsibility when things go wrong.

People should not need a research degree to discover which office is dealing with their complaint.

Britain having problems does not excuse our own. “It happens in England too” will not repair a road or help a young person find work. Equally, we should stop imagining that everything works perfectly elsewhere.

This week, I will mainly be thinking about my daughter’s achievement. Like every parent at that ceremony, I will be hoping the years ahead bring her opportunity, security and happiness.

Behind many of the political arguments in both countries are families hoping for exactly that.

The bold package announced by Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, aimed specifically at young people, presents a government willing to listen to their concerns.

That is welcome, but the real test will be whether it creates opportunities that make a difference to their lives.

And politicians had better listen carefully, because this election will see young people born in 2008 choosing names on ballot papers. Some candidates may still think of them as children, which would be a mistake.

They are old enough to vote, and perfectly capable of spotting when someone has been talking for ten minutes without answering the question.

The generation we keep calling “our future” will have a say in who governs us today.