Another day in politics, and another youth issue....
A Times article this week centres on the outcomes of a centre- right poll conducted by Bow Group which asked 1,277 teenagers about their main political experiences. The poll was UK wide, and it's results are again another blow to New Labour as mere 18% of the young people said that they would vote New Labour in an election. It highlights the fact that New Labour are far removed from the issues that affect young people. 52 % believe that New Labour are obsessed with the war in Iraq, and that they are failing to concentrate on issues of higher importance to them, such as Climate Change.
This is a sorry sign for New Labour, especially given that they are suffering an all time low in membership numbers generally. Following the announcement yesterday that young people in Britain are amongst the poorest in Europe, this poll highlights how unsuccessful the New Labour Government has been in representing young people. It emphasises their failure to include young people in decision making processes, and to improve their quality of life.
85% of the teenagers in the poll did not agree with the statement that New Labour 'shares my values', and a mere 16 % believed that Labour had policies that were relevant to them. Interestingly, the Cameron factor has not affected teenagers, as they shun the prospect of a vote for the Tories.
All Political Parties have work to do in encouraging youth involvement and interest in current affairs and politics. Part of the problem is that all the London Parties are scrabbling for the centre ground, and the ideological differences between them, which existed in the past, are no longer their priority. Much more young people are joining pressure groups and NGO's as opposed to Political Parties. The challenge is to make Party politics bold, radical and exciting again so that young people will take an interest. Whether New Labour can rise to the challenge is another issue altogether!
3 comments:
I would like to agree to part of your statement Bethan, young people are fed up with Labour.
It's because our generation have grown up under a Labour government, we have been failed in so many ways in Wales. We can't afford a home, we graduate with debt, we find it hard to get a job, we can’t see a dentist and the list goes on.
I am very concerned with climate change and the environment, but I am a young conservative, and many young people in Wales are also interested in these issues.
But one thing I will disagree with is that young people aren't interested in joining the Conservatives.
When I was at Aberystwyth we had the largest political grouping in the University.
Young Conservatives are growing under David Cameron.
Welsh young conservatives delivered the petition against top up fees to the Labour led Assembly and had massive support in Mid Wales.
I am currently writing a thesis for my MA on how the welsh assembly can communicate better to young people, and i agree with you that triangulation plays a huge part in young peoples apathy to politics.
I'm not saying that young people are not joining political parties full stop,Emma, but that young people are tending towards joining pressure groups on a much more regular basis...
The Conservatives were a right bunch in Aber Uni, if I rememeber correctly from my time there! Labour students were almost non-existent. Plaid's youth wing was and still is strong as well- Aber is an extremely active University town, I must admit.
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