Rise of the young

Over the past decade, young people in the UK have emerged as a cohesive political force — in strong support of British membership of the European Union and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party — but have suffered a string of electoral defeats to older generations.

The fact that they cannot yet singlehandedly carry a party to victory, however, does not mean their potential should be ignored.

In our 2019 book, ‘Youthquake 2017: The Rise of Young Cosmopolitans in Britain’, Professor Matt Henn and I demonstrated how the June 2017 general election was a landmark contest for young people.

There was a large increase in youth voter turnout, as age replaced class as the best predictor of voting intention. The youngest cohort (18 to 24-year-olds) turned out to vote at the highest rate for a quarter of a century — Ipsos MORI and YouGov estimated increases in youth turnout in 2017 of 15 percentage points and 16 percentage points, to 54 percent and 59 percent respectively.

Younger generations have borne the brunt of the financial crisis: From a hostile labour market and the soaring costs of housing to savage public spending cuts and the trebling of university tuition fees to 9,000 pounds ($11,742) a year. After years of disillusionment with electoral politics, in 2017 they decided to go to the polls, because this time they were voting for a cause — ending cuts in public spending - and a party that they believe represents their progressive vision for the future — Corbyn’s Labour. In the end, a landmark 62 percent of them supported Labour, helping deny Theresa May’s Conservative Party a majority in the last parliament.

In our book, we dubbed this phenomenon the rise of “young cosmopolitans” — a socially liberal, left-leaning cohort of young people.

In 2019, about a quarter of 18 to 24-year-olds believed that poverty and the high cost of living were among the most important issues compared with just 10 percent of those over 65. Younger generations’ support for greater public spending and state intervention is, therefore, the first intergenerational fault-line in British politics.

Lord Ashcroft polling reported that today’s young people are also more relaxed about immigration and supportive of cultural diversity in comparison with older generations. Only 4 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds, and 18 percent of over 65s, believed that immigration was one of the most important issues facing the country. As a result, young Britons recognise the economic and cultural benefits of EU membership. In the 2016 Referendum, about three-quarters of 18 to 24-year-olds supported “Remain”. Younger generations’ support for “cosmopolitan” values constitutes the second intergenerational fault-line in British politics.

Yet, young people remain distrusting of mainstream parties and politicians in the backdrop of Brexit and austerity politics. This explains the appeal of Jeremy Corbyn, with his anti-austerity policies and anti-establishment credentials, and his deliberate efforts to connect with younger voters.

Excerpted from: ‘Britain’s election and the deepening generational divide’. AlJazeera.com