" I think you run and hide too much. One day you will have to speak up."

Y'see, this is the sort of assumption that is utterly ridiculous as you have zero idea of who I am.

I speak up more than most, holding my MP to account by writing letters, attending and participating in hustings, town meetings, public consultations with the LA and developers, attending local authority committees, leafleting houses, leafleting in town, offering my professional services to local organisations and events for free or at very substantial discount (to cover costs), doing science outreach within my community, public speaking when I get persuaded (I hate doing it though). I engage with our town council and know several of the councillors personally, and cajole, hassle, praise and probably irritate the bejesus out of them in matters concerning the common good.

So I run and hide? Bullshit.

" Instead of whinging on about older people voting for the same old thing, how about motivating young people to vote instead?"

You'd have been proud of our young folk DtG. A brilliant guerrilla campaign against the incumbent nasty tory placeman that saw posters appear around town and plenty of youngsters campaigning for the young Labour candidate who eventually halved the tory majority. I'm actually apolitical so didn't get involved in the campaign, but he's a great bloke, community minded and I voted for him. Next time we might just unseat the tory clone and send him packing. Huzzah!