We are half-way into the campaigning period for the upcoming General Election on 4th July. We have seen heated televised debates, countless news articles, candidates take to the streets, manifestos being released and videos on social media. All of which will inform our population on what the parties have promised to implement should they win the election. The coming weeks will see manifestos being analysed, further questions asked to the party leaders and further detail being released. Have the parties got it right? Will their pledges gain the votes of our young people?
With our young people being crucial to our country’s future, we at Youth Employment UK think it’s paramount that young people’s voices are heard and that policies about them are made with them. In our 2024 Youth Voice census, officially to be launched in September 2024, we asked young people crucial questions regarding their concerns for the country and their local area. Early insights reveal that one in five young people will not vote in this general election and over one quarter of young people think their vote does not matter. It’s important in the coming weeks the parties are communicating with young people, to ensure they feel engaged and are able to make informed decisions.
In the webinar below Youth Employment UK, is joined by Dr Fiona Aldridge from West Midlands Combined Authority and Sharon Weetman from Greater Manchester Combined Authority, regional sponsors of the Youth Voice Census 2024, to discuss the early findings regarding national and local issues. Emerging findings from the census tell us that for our young people, the economy was the top issue for the country, followed by discrimination, environment and crime and violence. We discuss what this means for our young people’s confidence, wellbeing and the potential impacts these concerns could have on their future. Given our census found 3 in 10 young people are concerned about the leadership of the country, it is important for parties to be listening to young people and work with combined authorities who play an important role and have a deeper understanding of local issues which can vary from region to region.
