Public debate about young people and politics is loud, contested – and largely wrong.
Drawing on new analysis of British Election Study data and participatory workshops with young people from across Britain, this report challenges three dominant narratives:
the radicalising young male cohort
the hyper-polarised young electorate
youth apathy.
None survives contact with the data.
More striking than what divides young men and young women is what they share: genuine political concern alongside a profound loss of confidence that the system can act on it.
Addressing this alienation is a matter not just of democratic health but also of political urgency: young people remain the most progressive generation in British politics and winning back their trust should be a priority for any progressive political project.
