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Robert Hansard

Bartek Staniszewski: Public attitudes towards the plight of and policies for younger people

By Bartlomiej Staniszewski, Centre Write, Economy & Finance, Politics

Introduction

Younger people in this country are disillusioned with the Conservative Government. Only 1% of 18-24-year-olds in the UK intend to vote for the Conservatives in the next election, according to a recent YouGov poll.

There has been much debate about whether this collapse in support for centre-right politics among younger adults in Britain is largely because of material or cultural reasons; whether the economic circumstances of younger adults – squeezed living standards and expensive housing – are more to blame for their turn away from the Conservative Party, or whether diverging cultural values are.

This polling seeks to answer those questions and provides a snapshot into the current public attitudes concerning how younger people are and should be supported by government.

Methodology

Polling was undertaken by YouGov and conducted between the 28th and the 29th of September 2023. It consisted of a nationally representative sample of 2,098 Great British (GB) adults.

The sample was derived using an online interview administered to members of the YouGov Plc GB panel of 185,000+ individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys. An email was sent to panellists selected at random from the base sample, inviting them to take part in the survey and providing a link to the survey. The responding sample was weighted to the profile of the sample definition, which, in this instance, consists of all GB adults, to provide a representative reporting sample.

The polling did not define what a young person was. Nor do we, but we assume that it could mean anyone up to the age of 40.

  1. The current situation

As seen in Chart 1 below, a clear majority of the GB public believe that the economic prospects of younger people are harder (“Much harder” and “Somewhat harder” together) than those of younger people 10 years ago (56%), 20 years ago (60%) and 30 years ago (58%).

Chart 1. Views of GB public on whether younger people today have it economically easier or harder in comparison to younger people of 10, 20 and 30 years ago

Base: 2,098 GB adults

In contrast, only a small minority of all respondents think that younger people today have it easier (“Much easier” and “Somewhat easier” together) when it comes to economic prospects than young people at any point within the last 30 years. Only 11% of respondents think that the younger people of today have it easier than the younger people of 10 years ago; 18% think that in comparison to the younger people of 20 years ago; and 22% think that in comparison to the younger people of 30 years ago.

There is some notable differentiation by voting history in the 2016 EU referendum. At least 68% of Remain voters think that the younger people of today have it worse in terms of economic prospects than younger people at any point within the last 30 years; the same can be said for only 47% of Leave voters.

Interestingly, there is broad agreement across all age groups as to the current economic prospects of young people relative to previous generations. For example, 50% of 18-24-year-olds said that the younger people of today have it harder than the younger people of 10 years ago; and the same was said by 52% of over 65-year-olds. Ultimately, a majority of all ages of the GB public say that the younger people of today have it worse in terms of economic prospects than the younger people of several decades ago.

 

  1. Current priorities

As can be seen in Chart 2 below, a majority of the GB public (53%) think that inflation and the cost of living is one of the top three most important issues facing young people of Britain at this time. This is even more pronounced among 18-49-year-olds, 58% of whom are of that view.

Chart 2. Views of GB public on the top three most important issues facing young people in Britain at this time

Base: 2,098 GB adults

The next issues that were ranked as among the top three most important for the young people of today by the GB public include housing (41%), the environment and climate change (31%), the economy (26%) and education (25%).

Again, there was broad agreement among all age groups as to the priorities of young people. For no question was there massive divergence between the answers of different age cohorts; there was only a divergence of 18 percentage points on the topic of inflation and the cost of living, where a majority (61%) of 18-24 year olds pointed to this as one of the top three most important issues for young people today, as compared to a plurality (43%) of over 65 year olds.

In general, the most notable divergence in attitudes was, again, between Leave and Remain voters. In particular, the environment and climate change was chosen as a top three issue for young people in Britain by 46% of Remain voters, but only 23% of Leave voters. Similar disparities occurred in connection to crime (12% vs 23%), immigration & asylum (4% vs 21%) and Britain leaving the EU (21% vs 5%).

The view that housing is one of the top issues facing young people in Britain today was also consistently reflected in our next question, which asked the GB public about the top three policy proposals that would appeal to younger voters.  As can be seen in Chart 3 below, the most popular answer, by a significant margin (65%), for a policy proposal that would appeal most to younger voters was making homes cheaper for first-time buyers. Indeed, this was the only policy proposal chosen by a majority of people as one of the top three policy proposals that would appeal to younger voters.

Chart 3: Views of GB public on the policy proposals that would most appeal to younger voters

Base: 2,098 GB adults

The other popular policy proposals to appeal to younger voters included lowering university tuition fees (41%), more ambitious policies on combatting climate change (33%), lowering taxes on working people (29%) and new controls on energy bills to bring down costs (24%).

As before, there was no significant divergence between age groups; while 63% of 18-24-year-olds considered making homes cheaper for first-time buyers a top three policy proposal to appeal to younger voters, 69% of over 65-year-olds were of the same view. The only policy proposal on which divergence between age groups did occur was introducing stricter controls on immigration; while 20% of over 65-year-olds considered it a top three policy proposal to appeal to younger voters, a mere 3% of 18-24-year-olds thought the same.

We also tested what the GB public thought would be the least appealing policy priorities for younger voters. This is shown in Chart 4 below. It is worth highlighting that the data here again shows that the GB public tend to think that economic policies will be most appealing to younger voters, whereas cultural policies will be the least appealing to younger voters.

 

Chart 4: Views of GB public on the policy proposals that would least appeal to younger voters

Base: 2,098 GB adults

The three least popular policy priorities to appeal to younger voters among the GB public were “Measures to limit critical teaching of British history in schools” (45%), “Reducing access to women-only spaces for transgender people” (39%) and “Introducing stricter controls on immigration” (37%).

Again, divergence between age groups on this question was limited. While a large plurality (45%) of 18-24-year-olds considered “Measures to limit critical teaching of British history in schools” unappealing to younger voters, 41% of over 65-year-olds thought the same. However, significant disparity dud again occur on the question of stricter controls immigration, whereby a majority (52%) of 18-24-year-olds considered it an unappealing policy for young people, as contrasted to only 26% of over 65-year-olds.

Considering that the GB public thinks that economic, rather than cultural, policy proposals will be most appealing to younger voters, we tested what the GB public considers to be most likely to improve the financial situation of young people. This is shown in Chart 5 below.

Chart 5: Views of GB public on the policy proposals that would best improve the financial situation of young people

Base: 2,098 GB adults.

A plurality of the GB public think increasing the minimum wage is one of the two best policy proposals from the ones provided for improving the financial situation of young people (38%).

However, unlike with previous questions, there was limited consensus on what policy proposals would improve the financial situation of young people in this country. The next five most popular proposals were all chosen by between 20% and 33% of the GB public.

The biggest disparity between younger and older GB respondents, and indeed between different socio-demographic groups of respondents in general, occurred regarding the proposal to increase the number of apprenticeships available. While a plurality of over 65-year-olds (41%) deemed this to be one of the two best proposals for improving the financial situation of young people in the country, only 11% of 18-24-year-olds agreed.

 

  1. Perceptions of the Conservative Government

As seen in Chart 6 below, when asked to think about different generations, a plurality of the GB public (31%) said that the Conservative Party looks out for the interests of baby boomers the most.

It should be noted that we defined the ‘Greatest Generation’ as people born roughly before 1945, Baby boomers as people born roughly between 1945 and 1964, Generation X as people born roughly between 1965 and 1979, Millennials as people born roughly between 1980 and 1995 and Generation Z as people born roughly between 1996 and 2015.

Chart 6: Views of the GB public on who the Conservative Party looks out for the interests of most

Base: 2,098 GB adults

Seventeen percent of the GB public – the second most popular response – claimed that the Conservative Party looks out for the interests of no generation the most.

This question aroused the greatest divergence between different age groups of the GB public. While a clear plurality of both 18-24-year-olds (38%) and 25-49-year-olds (39%) thought that the Conservative Party looks out for the interests of baby boomers the most, only 17% of over 65-year-olds and 28% of 50-64-year-olds said the same. Indeed, for over 65-year-olds, the most popular responses to this question were “Don’t know” (29%) and “None of these” (27%).

We also asked the GB public which generation they felt was least served by the Conservative Party. This is illustrated in Chart 7 below. A plurality (32%) of the GB public answered “Generation Z.” The second most popular answer was “I don’t know,” with a minority of 24% of responses, followed by “Millennials” (12%). The GB public clearly feel the Conservative Party is less responsive to younger generations.

 

Chart 7: Views on who the Conservative Party looks out for the interests of least.

Base: 2,098 GB adults.

Indeed, of people aged 18-24, a majority (58%) felt that the Conservative Party looks out for the interests of Generation Z the least. For 25-49-year-olds, a plurality of 21% of believe that the Conservative Party looks out for the interests of millennials least.

While a plurality of over 65-year-olds (28%) did not know which generation the Conservative Party looks out for least, their second most popular response to the question of who the Conservative Party looks out for the interests of least was “Baby boomers” (20%), demonstrating general dissatisfaction with the Conservative Party among all generations.

Conclusion

A lot has happened over the last few decades to warrant pessimism among today’s young people. While some Remain voters may point towards Brexit being a reason for this pessimism, one theme can be weaved throughout all of the above questions: housing. Real house prices and the price-to-income ratio of UK homes have both increased significantly over the last 30 years. Housing is seen as one of the top priorities for this country’s young people, while making homes cheaper for first-time buyers was the strong preference of the GB public for how best to appeal to younger voters.

Of course, other problems also shine through: the cost of living crisis chief amongst them. Worries about inflation, energy costs and costs associated with education and the family remain very strong.

But most interesting is probably what does not shine through: cultural policies. The GB public, both young and old, were in agreement that the way to appeal to younger voters is not through politics that concerns itself with sexual identity or the legacy of the British Empire, but rather with economic realities.

Finally, once again are we reminded of the extent to which there is a strong view that the Conservative Government has failed younger people. Equating 18-24-year-olds with Generation Z, this age bracket was also the only age bracket where a majority said that the Conservative Party looks out for their interests the least. And while all generations felt like the Conservatives failed them specifically, nowhere was this sentiment as powerful as it was amongst the youngest adults.

Bartek Staniszewski is a senior researcher at Bright Blue.

 

Notes:

We are grateful to YouGov for advising on and carrying out the survey.

Bright Blue: Tories in peril because the young denied ‘the British dream’

By Press Releases

Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, has today published new polling analysis with YouGov of UK public attitudes towards the plight of and policies for younger adults. 

The polling reveals that the UK public are united in believing that younger adults find it much more difficult to get on in life than in recent decades, and that the best way for government to support them is through economic rather than cultural policies.

The key findings from the polling include:

  • The top two issues facing young people today in Britain are ‘Inflation and the cost of living’ (53%) and ‘Housing’ (41%), according to the UK public.
  • An overwhelming majority of the UK public, across different ages, believe that the policy plan that would be most appealing to younger voters is “Making homes cheaper for first time buyers.” (65%).
  • The top three policy plans that the UK public, including all those aged 50 and under, believe would be last appealing to younger voters is “Measures to limit critical teaching of British history in schools” (45%), “Reducing access to women-only spaces for transgender people” (39%) and “Introducing stricter controls on immigration” (37%).
  • The UK public, including all those aged 50 and under, are most likely to believe that the policy that would most improve the financial situation of young people in the country is ‘Increasing the minimum wage’ (38%).
  • A majority of the UK public believe that the economic prospects of younger people are harder than younger people 10 years ago (56%), 20 years ago (60%) and 30 years ago (58%), with those aged 25-49 most likely to believe all of this than any other age group.
  • The UK public are most likely to believe that the Conservative Party looks out for the interests of babyboomers (31%) above any other generation, and the interests of Generation Z (32%) the least than any other generation.

 

Ryan Shorthouse, Executive Chair of Bright Blue, commented:

“The electoral prospects of the Conservative Party next year are not good. But, in the decades ahead, they are perilous because younger Brits have turned their back on the Tories. The Prime Minister doesn’t just need to salvage the Tory brand in the short-term, he needs to think long-term and better attract and support younger people to ensure the Conservatives have a chance of ever being elected again in the decades to come.

“It is much more difficult for younger adults to get on in life and live ‘the British dream’ of having children and owning a home than in recent decades. This is the predominant reason why younger adults are not voting Conservative. The Conservatives won’t win them back by fighting the cultural war, but by religiously focussing on growing the economy and making it easier to start and sustain a family.”

“Boosting home ownership, in particular, is vital for the prosperity of individuals, the country and British conservatism. That means building more houses, but also ensuring suitable demand-side subsidies for first-time buyers, especially now Help to Buy has expired.”

ENDS

Drink Tank with Susan Hall AM

POSTPONED

By Uncategorized

Unfortunately, as a result of a diary clash in relation to today’s Autumn Statement, this evening’s Drink Tank with Susan Hall AM has been postponed and will not go ahead as planned.
This event will be reorganised in January 2024. Please keep an eye on our usual channels for further updates.
Apologies for any inconvenience.

Drink Tank webinar with Professor David Nutt

By 2020 Events

For our Spring Drink Tank, we welcome Professor David Nutt to discuss drugs policy.

David Nutt is currently Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology and director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit in the Division of Brain Sciences. David is Chair of DrugScience and President of the European Brain Council. Previously he has been President of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), the British Neuroscience Association (BNA) and the British Association of Psychopharmacology (BAP).

Date: Wednesday 20th May 2020, 19:00 – 21:00

RSVP and further details: Here

Members meet-up webinar with Nimco Ali OBE

By 2020 Events

We’re hosting our next Bright Blue members meet-up with Nimco Ali OBE. We’d be delighted if you could join us.

Nimco Ali OBE is British-Somali feminist and social rights activist who co-founded and directs Daughters of Eve, a survivor-led organisation focused on ending female genital mutilation (FGM).

Date: Wednesday 29th April 2020, 18:00 – 20:00

RSVP and further details: To attend, sign up to become a member here.

Members meet-up with Professor Tim Bale

By 2020 Events

We’re hosting our next Bright Blue members meet-up with Professor Tim Bale. We’d be delighted if you could join us for drinks and nibbles.

Our regular meet-ups at the Bright Blue HQ are a change for our members to get to know our team and other members better.

Professor Tim Bale is professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London and co-Director of the Mile End Institute, QMUL and Deputy Director of UK in a Changing Europe. He is co-author of Footsoldiers: Political Party Membership in the 21st Century.

Date: Tuesday 11th February 2020, 18:00 – 20:00

Venue: Second floor, 4-8 Ludgate Circus, London EC4M 7LF

RSVP and further details: To attend, sign up to become a member here

Starting a Career in Policy Research

By 2020 Events

Do you want to help find solutions to society’s biggest problems? Have you ever thought about working for a think tank?

Think tanks are research organisations that develop ideas on a whole range of subjects affecting society and make suggestions for action. They tackle economic, social and political issues, using research, analysis and commentary to inform and influence politicians, policy makers and the public.

A group of think tanks and similar organisations have joined together to encourage more diversity in the world of research and policy making, and we are holding this event to de-mystify the world of think tanks.

This event is aimed at:

  • People from BAME groups
  • People with work-limiting health conditions or disabilities
  • Young adults with caring responsibilities (including young parents)
  • People from lower-income backgrounds
  • Care leavers

Join us to find out what think tanks are, what they do and what it’s like to work for one. We’ll also cover how you enter the think tank world, and there will be opportunities to talk to people from all these organisations.

The event will consist of a series of short presentations alongside informal networking sessions. Staff from a range of different think tanks will cover:

  • Introduction to think tanks and the wider sector
  • A day in the life of a think-tank researcher
  • Application guidance

Date: Wednesday 5th February 2020, 16:30 – 18:30

Venue: Institute for Government, 2 Carlton Gardens, London, SW1Y 5AA

RSVP and further details: Here