30
April
2015
|
17:00
Europe/London

Election commentary: Why don’t young people vote?

New data from a European Union funded project provides insights into why young people in the UK do not appear to exercise their right to vote as much as many of their European counterparts. It is written by Professor Hilary Pilkington (University of Manchester) and Mark Ellison (Manchester Metropolitan University) and is part of the MYPLACE (Memory, Youth, Political Legacy & Civic Engagement) Project.

The MYPLACE report focuses on voting in elections and democratic performance and profiles data for the UK and covers the following areas: 

  • Voting: the UK in the wider European context
  • Why don’t young people vote? 
  • Closeness to Political Parties 
  • Trust in Political Institutions
  • Cynicism: Attitudes towards politicians and politics 
  • Participation: Traditional Forms 

Data from the MYPLACE project provides some insight into how young people in the UK may respond to this key period for democracy in their country and how this compares to other locations across Europe.

Data from the UK survey, conducted by Professor Gary Pollock and Mark Ellison from Manchester Metropolitan University, illustrate that whilst young people in the UK do not appear to exercise their right to vote as much as many of their European counterparts, paradoxically, young people still state that voting is the most important and effective form of participation.

With Polling Day just 6 days away Professor Pilkington, who is the project’s coordinator, says there is a clear disconnect between young people and politicians but that young people are not alienated from politics.

She said: “Interviews with young people conducted for the project confirm that despite low voting turnout, and a preference for non-conventional forms of politics, young people continue to attach higher ‘value’ to traditional forms of participation.”

“One explanation for declining participation is increasing cynicism about politics and politicians. Our research demonstrates that young people in the UK exhibit even lower levels of trust than youth in other established democratic countries. But scepticism about political institutions does not necessarily mean a withdrawal from participation; something that was shown clearly in the referendum on Scotland when more than two thirds of 16-24 year olds voted.”

“If young people are to exercise their voice in the UK elections on 7th May, they need to be inspired to transform their passive belief in the importance of democratic participation into an active engagement”, concluded Professor Pilkington.

Notes for editors

The MYPLACE Thematic Report Election Special is online.

Professor Hilary Pilkington is available for interview.

Media enquiries to:

Kath Paddison
Media Relations Officer
The University of Manchester
Tel: 0161 275 0790
Mob: 07990 550050
Email: kath.paddison@manchester.ac.uk

Or

Deborah Linton
Media Relations Officer
Faculty of Humanities
The University of Manchester
Tel: 0161 275 8257
Mob: 07789 948 783
Email: deborah.linton@manchester.ac.uk