The General Election on the 8th June, largely expected to deliver an increased majority for The Conservative Party, resulted in a hung parliament. Theresa May immediately set out negotiation with the Democratic Unionist Party, right wing counterparts in Northern Ireland. It was a strange defeat in the face of victory for Theresa May. On the flipside was Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party – claiming victory in the face of defeat. Many have credited the younger vote for this resurgence.
Why did Labour Appeal to Young Voters?
It’s a widely known fact that younger generations are less likely to vote. The age group with the lowest voter turnout is 18-24. Politicians have wondered for years how to improve this, but the campaigns have largely been ignored. The mantra “if you don’t vote, you don’t have a say and can’t complain” is true, but younger voters feel disenfranchised from a political system that largely ignores them. The wider perception that both parties have always tended to appeal to older voters – the group most likely to vote – has tainted relations between generations.
Labour took an enormous risk but carried it off well. The young vote – higher than it has ever been – is largely credited with forcing the Hung Parliament that could lead to a second election later in the year.
How did Labour Appeal to Young Voters?
Young people who voted for Labour at the 8th June General Election felt that leader Jeremy Corbyn genuinely cares about the younger generation. Concerned about what a post-Brexit Britain will mean for their finances, job prospects and outlook, it’s no wonder the party’s manifesto appealed. The promise to abolish tuition fees would not affect present students unless any future Labour government is able to abolish fees in retrospect for most students
The use of social media is believed to be a big plus point for the Labour Party’s campaign. The mainstream media, particularly the newspapers (even the left wing papers) have been extremely critical of Jeremy Corbyn. By bypassing these outlets and focusing on a space where younger voters feel most comfortable potentially increased voter turnout
Short-Term Defeat for Long-Term Victory?
Nobody predicted the Hung Parliament until the publication of the Exit Poll just after 10pm on the 8th June. Until then, it looked as though Theresa May would increase vote share and the number of seats – a lead that only dwindled in those critical months. It’s now generally believed that the appeal to young voters swung it – a generation unlikely to read newspapers and willing to engage with a range of media for information.
Nobody predicted the popularity of Jeremy Corbyn’s open and honest approach to politics. Regardless of what happens next, the long-term victory could be a wholesale change in the political process – the end of stage-managed politics and out-of-touch politicians regardless of whether or not Jeremy Corbyn ever becomes Prime Minister.