We knew Operation Black Vote would trigger a strong reaction. That was the point.

We need the BME community to sit up, take notice and register to vote

Operation Black Vote of a poster featuring Sol Campbell, one of four black British stars appearing with white faces in a hard-hitting new campaign to encourage minorities to register to vote ahead of the general election. (Rankin/Operation Black Vote/Saat (Rankin/Operation Black Vote/Saatchi & Saatchi)

The voter registration figures for the black and minority ethnic communities speak for themselves. 24 per cent of the BME population aren’t registered to vote compared to 8 per cent for the white population. And this can go up to as high as 50 per cent in some African communities.

Apathy and cynicism towards politics is a problem which cuts across age and race. But the sad fact is that this problem is magnified within minority communities. Why? Because they don’t think the political system in Britain has anything to do with them and that’s it’s never going to change. Because what matters to them is unrepresented by politicians. They don’t think their vote will make any difference, so why bother?

The reality is that this couldn’t be further from the truth - especially right now. There’s never been a time when the black and minority communities have had an opportunity as big as this to shape the future of Britain. This upcoming general election will be won and lost on the smallest of margins. If the BME population register and turn out to vote en masse they could swing the general election by deciding who wins in over 168 marginal seats.

If you don’t register and vote in this next General Election, you can’t expect politicians and their policies to represent you. It’s a chicken and egg situation- and this is the part which is difficult for people to understand. Politicians need votes to get into power. To vote you need to register. If you aren’t registered to vote politicians aren’t interested in you. They don’t need to be. You don’t have a vote to canvas for so you don’t matter to them. But when you register, you matter. They want your vote and will design policies that represent what matters to you to get your vote.

There has never been a better time to demand that all political parties have a plan to tackle race inequality. But you’ve got to be in the game to win.

Tinie Tempah poses with streaks of white paint down his back in a photo taken by Rankin (Rankin/Operation Black Vote/Saatchi & Saatchi/PA Wire)

I said “yes” to being part of the Operation Black Vote campaign because I believe in the democratic system and I want to see a future where it serves everyone in Britain. Along with David, Ade and Tinie we wanted to stand together to make this point at this incredibly critical time. This is too important an issue to sit on the fence. We need the BME community to sit up, take notice and act. We knew this campaign would trigger a strong reaction from the public. I’m okay with that.

The message of the campaign “by not registering to vote, you’re taking the colour out of Britain” is what it’s all about. Britain has a rich history of cultural diversity that goes back centuries and is alive and thriving today. It’s a point of pride for Britain and something that many other countries admire about us. We’re asking people to imagine a world where the cultural diversity and richness is stripped out of Britain. I don’t think there are many of us who would like what they see. I don’t see that as a race issue, it’s a British issue.