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The ballots are counted, the seats are filled, and collectively, the entire country is waiting to see how the new government kicks into gear. It’s been a tumultuous time, a different election to any we’ve experienced before. So what did we, as specialists supporting young people to be changemakers, learn during this period?
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Covid, Brexit and Cost of Living – the last few years have felt like a rollercoaster; so young people felt compelled to get involved in the debate
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The General Election was an eye opener for many of us, and the Academic sector was no exception. Working with young people in schools and colleges across the country each day, we have seen young people more interested and invested in political debate during this year’s election (and whilst the data is not yet readily available, it’s expected that the chasm between 18-24 year olds and 65+ in terms of voter turnout will have shrunk).
‘Why is that?’ That’s a complicated question. There’s no doubt that we live in complex times, and young people – more than many other sections of society, have faced huge disruptions to their lives over the past four years, especially because of the Covid19 pandemic. Whilst many workers nationwide were furloughed, young people were expected to carry on and achieve just as much – all be it from the safety of their home, or behind protective screens, masks and social distancing in schools.
From their routines being abandoned, their educations hugely impacted, confinement inside the house during lockdowns, and perhaps most importantly – being isolated from their friends and peers at a time when socialisation is so vitally important to their development, their mental health and their sense of general wellbeing.
Add to this the perception of a lack of job opportunities and work experience for young people, housing costs soaring, waiting lists for mental health assessments and counselling reaching three years, Brexit and the Cost of Living crisis – many young people have felt like they’ve been strapped into a rollercoaster and thus (in the main) did one of two things; the majority engaged in this general election with vigour, energy and interest particularly motivated by their own recent rollercoaster-like lived experiences, or sadly, they disconnected altogether.
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Many young people were surprised to discover an Election can turn into a shouting match
Indeed this was never more evident here than during the series of televised election debates and Question Time specials, where the British public were witness to shouting, accusations, fingers in people’s faces, and aggressive and confrontational behaviour that many young people found surprising. In the build up to the election, we showed the BBC’s Election Debate highlights reel to hundreds of young people and the near-unanimous response was shock – is this how we ‘do’ politics in this country?
This feeling was emboldened by the campaign’s reliance on rhetoric; where conflation and confusion between what is truthful, facts or policy is mainstream. This ran counter to many of the young people I spoke to in the build up to 4th July, who were genuinely interested in talking about and debating the issues and policies that matter to them the most.
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I think young people expected more from the National Debate around the future of our country – yearned for more meaningful conversation and discussion. With Unloc’s Public Speaking and Debating programme as one of our core offers, we’ve shown young people for over a decade how to have constructive debate, embrace nuance and compassionately and considerately engage with people and situations where a difference of opinion is apparent.
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The top 5 things young people told us they want from the new government
At Unloc we proudly play an impartial role in connecting young changemakers to policymakers, politicians and activists – giving them access to those in society that can help make a difference, and helping to create platforms for young people’s voices to be heard. With the General Election announced far earlier than anyone expected, we recognised this eagerness in young people to be actively involved in what was happening, and identified that they had little platforms to do so. Whilst lots of these young people won’t have been old enough to vote this time around – it was evident that they have plenty to say about our future society.
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So, during the build up to the General Election, we invited young people from across our network to attend a series of events that provided space for them to meet with representatives from all major parties – and discuss, face to face, the issues they care about most.
Events were held in our Changemaker Studios: Westminster space and also in our Changemaker Studios: Portsmouth space, where respected members from the Labour Party, The Conservatives, The Green Party, The Liberal Democrats and Reform UK agreed to take part and face tough questions from young people in person. These events were the brainchild of Unloc’s Youth Board – instead of a traditional hustings or question time event, they wanted to give young people dedicated time with candidates in small groups, enabling discussions and conversations that go beyond the soundbites.
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Whilst a plethora of topics and issues were explored, here are the top 5 themes that were most prominent:
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1. Investing in Mental Health Services
Many young people feel that waiting lists for CAMHS support remain unjustifiably long and that schools remain under-resourced and under-prepared to properly meet the wellbeing needs of learners
2. Investing In Life Skills
A significant number of the young people feel that education needs yet further connectivity to industry and the wider world, so young people can better understand the relevance of their learning. At the same time, many feel knowledge critical to transitioning to adulthood should find its way into mainstream education including mortgages, savings, budgeting and personal nutrition.
3. Taking Action on Climate
Climate was a discussion on nearly every table during our General Election events. Young people on the whole want a more ambitious, exciting roadmap for taking action on climate change.
4. Ensuring House Ownership is Affordable
A significant number of young people shared their fears and concerns about the affordability of home ownership for their generation. Many expressed a desire for the government to do more to ensure young people can get on the property ladder, whilst also ensuring that critical infrastructure was in place (doctors, local services etc) if the Government was going to move forward with their house building plans.
5. A Government That Invests In Young People’s Participation
Lots of the audience spoke passionately about the wide chasm that exists between political decision makers and younger people. They want a government that invests in opportunities for young people to be democratically active and engaged in civic life.
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Supporting young people to be changemakers has never been more important
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As the new Labour Government kicks into gear over the coming months, we know that Unloc can continue to play a powerful role in connecting young changemakers with the policymakers that serve them. We met the Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, a few months ago, and pressed the message that the new Government needs to invest in young people as changemakers and directly invest in their ideas; unlocking their potential to be drivers of social progress and change.
Over the next five years, Unloc will continue to push to ensure young people are front and centre of future government policy.
We will continue to take an active part in giving young people a voice, connecting them with government and politics, with speaking and debating, and with leadership – and through our workshops, programmes, Changemaker grants and Changemaker Studios spaces – we will scale our support available to young people who step up as Changemakers.
Hayden Taylor is the 27-year old Chief Executive of Unloc
Our latest impact report for the 2023-24 academic year is now available! Inside you’ll find a whole wealth of information of the work we’ve been carrying out over the past academic year!
. Unloc and Verizon Business have launched The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge for 2025, an annual event that seeks to identify the best young talent across
Help us celebrate the launch of a new rap track and music video created by young people as a united stand against knife crime, drugs, gang culture & youth violence.
The General Election is over, after an intense period, what did we learn from young people in the run-up to the election?
Our latest impact report for the 2023-24 academic year is now available! Inside you’ll find a whole wealth of information of the work we’ve been carrying out over the past academic year!
. Unloc and Verizon Business have launched The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge for 2025, an annual event that seeks to identify the best young talent across
Help us celebrate the launch of a new rap track and music video created by young people as a united stand against knife crime, drugs, gang culture & youth violence.
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