Youth vote key factor in UK poll
BREXIT ISSUE: YOUNG PEOPLE COULD SWING THE RESULT At last election, 66% of voters aged 18 and 19 backed the left-wing Labour opposition.
Young voters are the most europhile and left-wing in Britain, yet also the least likely to vote, representing an unknown factor in tomorrow’s battle for Downing Street.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s centre-right Conservatives are ahead in polling but the youth vote, which has been growing over the years, could swing the result.
At the last general election in 2017, 66% of voters aged 18 and 19 backed the left-wing Labour opposition, with just 19% behind the governing Conservatives.
According to pollsters YouGov, the results showed the older the voter, the more likely they are to vote Conservative – the tipping point being the age of 47.
At the European parliament elections in May, when multiple members are returned per constituency, younger voters backed the Liberal Democrats and the Greens – two anti-Brexit parties.
Brexit is a major issue among younger voters, some of whom would have been too young to take part in the seismic 2016 EU membership referendum.
“Young people in Britain are particularly pro-remain – a pattern that has persisted since the referendum,” said Shorrocks.
Labour is offering a second referendum, with a choice between a softer form of Brexit and remain, with millions of EU nationals added to the franchise.
“Issues young people care about the most are Brexit, the climate crisis, and the NHS,” said Johnny Lucas, spokesperson for For our Future’s Sake, a student campaign for a second referendum.
Brexit is especially a major factor among those who could not vote in 2017, he added.
“Turnout has been rising for those under 30 since 2010, and there is no reason to expect this to change, especially given the high stakes of this election with respect to Brexit,” said Shorrocks. –
Young people in Britain are proremain