Title page 1

Contents 3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4

FOREWORD 5

SUMMARY 6

1. WHAT IS AT STAKE IN YOUTH POLITICS? 8

THE SHIFTING TERRAIN OF YOUTH POLITICS 9

2. THE MYTH AND REALITY OF YOUTH POLITICS 10

THREE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT YOUTH POLITICS VS THE REALITY 11

3. THE PAIN POINTS OF THE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT PARADOX 20

THE BACKGROUND CONDITIONS FOR POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT: RETREAT FROM DIGITAL SPACES AND THE NEED FOR 'THIRD SPACES' 20

KNOWING HOW, FEELING ABLE: THE BARRIERS TO MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION 21

LOCKED OUT: EXCLUDED FROM DEMOCRATIC DECISION-MAKING 22

4. A NEW COMPACT WITH YOUNG PEOPLE 24

OBJECTIVE 1: REBUILD COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE AS A FOUNDATION FOR POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT 25

OBJECTIVE 2: DEVELOP THE KNOWLEDGE, HABITS AND ACCESS THAT DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION REQUIRES 26

OBJECTIVE 3: BRING YOUNG PEOPLE BACK INTO REPRESENTATIVE INSTITUTIONS 28

5. CONCLUSION: TOWARDS A YOUTH-FOCUSSED DEMOCRACY 29

REFERENCES 30

FIGURE 2.1. Across all 'culture war' variables, young men represent the most progressive male cohort 11

FIGURE 2.2. Young men also represent the most progressive male cohort on questions related immigration 12

FIGURE 2.3. Young men are the most progressive cohort across most variables that measure sexist attitudes 12

FIGURE 2.4. Young men were the least likely male cohort to vote for Reform UK in the 2024 general election and the most likely to... 13

FIGURE 2.5. Trends from the 2024 general election continued in reported 2025 vote intention. Young men were the least likely male... 14

FIGURE 2.6. While all gender and age cohorts have moved towards Reform UK, young men have done so at lesser magnitude than... 14

FIGURE 2.7. Young men are most likely to be hostile towards and least likely to intend to vote for Reform UK2 15

FIGURE 2.8. While there is a gender gap in attitudes among the youngest age cohort towards allowing more or fewer immigrants,... 16

FIGURE 2.9. When asked about the impact of immigration on British culture, the gap between young men and young women is again smaller... 17

FIGURE 2.10. Young people are more likely to see Reform as ideologically distant and Labour as ideologically proximate to themselves... 18

FIGURE 2.11. Young people are much less politically apathetic and much more likely to talk about politics regularly than older cohorts... 19