LONDON — A majority of young people are “concerned” about the state of democracy in the U.K., polling released Monday showed.
The survey of 2,039 people aged 16-29 carried out from Feb. 4-12 found 63 percent believed democracy was “in trouble” and nearly three-quarters (72 percent) said British politics had become “too divided.”
The survey was conducted on behalf of the University of Glasgow’s John Smith Centre for its U.K. Youth Poll 2025. While young people preferred to live in a democracy over a dictatorship by 57 percent to 27 percent, they were divided about political engagement, with just over a third (35 percent) saying they would consider getting involved in organized politics.
While nearly three-quarters (73 percent) said they believed racism was a “significant issue,” they were divided on whether immigration had changed communities for the better, as 51 percent agreed with the statement against 32 percent who disagreed.
“Young people are undoubtedly worried about the future of the U.K. and they are concerned about the state of democracy,” said Elisabeth Loose, research and external engagement officer at the John Smith Centre, who led the survey.
She added: “As to what young people want from politics, the answer is a more open, honest political culture which provides answers to their basic needs.”
More than a third of those polled (36 percent) said they wanted to see politicians being “more open and honest,” while 27 percent wanted to see more young people in leadership roles. The same percentage said they wanted government to focus on issues that mattered to them.
Just 37 percent of 18-to-24 year olds voted at last July’s general election, down from 47 percent in 2019, according to Ipsos analysis. Labour promised to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 in its manifesto, but has not yet brought forward legislation to make that happen.
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