A front three quarter length view of a small group of university students walking together talking in the city on an autumn day in Newcastle, England

A generation apart? Youth politics, alienation and democratic renewal in Britain

Article

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.

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