If you speak to a young person in the UK about politics, there’s a good chance you’ll be met with a vacant stare. A recent poll by the Electoral Commission found that only 46% of young people aged 11-25 are interested in UK politics, and the figures are even bleaker regarding local politics, with a mere 36% expressing interest. These attitudes are compounded by factors like income and ethnicity, with young people of lower socio-economic status and of marginalised ethnic identities being the two most underrepresented groups in voting and social advocacy, according to a 2021 government report.
To older people, it may be easy to look at these statistics and repeat stereotypical condemnations that young people are too shallow or immature to care about such important matters. This judgement, however, fails to account for the myriads of ways that young people are ostracised from civic engagement and leadership on a structural level.
Something too often taken for granted is that young people just don’t see themselves represented in government, both literally and figuratively. The average age of MPs elected in the 2024 general elections was 48, and the average age of local council members was 60 in 2022. This discrepancy has a direct impact on young peoples’ trust in the political system: only 1 in 10 young people aged 8-17 believe politicians ‘often or always focus on the needs of young people when making decisions,’ according to an Opinium poll conducted last year.
It’s hard to feel like you can make a difference in your country, or even your own community, when you’re given little reason to believe that politicians have your best interest in mind. Even still, young people are more than willing to learn about the political process. 72% of young people aged 11-25 believe schools should teach them more about politics, according to the Electoral Commission study. The same poll found that discussions about politics at home and school drastically increased a young person’s confidence in voting.
If young people are this responsive to political exposure, it only makes sense that they should be given more opportunities to channel their interests and passions. We have clear evidence that when given the platform and support to use their voices to affect change, young people make tidal waves in their communities and beyond.
Take Bite Back for example, a youth-led campaign advocating for policies that protect the health and nutrition of young people against corporate junk food giants. Their young advocates have channelled their enthusiasm to successfully lobby parliament into expanding its free school lunch program and restricting junk food advertising online and on television.
The same is seen in more formal youth governmental bodies, both national and local. The UK Youth Parliament, an elected body of young people aged 11-18 who represent the interests of young people as they lobby parliament, have seen several meaningful successes. Most recently, they have seen the fruits of their advocacy borne out in parliament’s decision to decrease the national voting age to 16. Local youth councils, like the one in Hammersmith and Fulham, work alongside local governments to push for policies that benefit young people in their community.
Giving young people space to advocate for the interests of themselves and their peers not only increases their trust in the political process, but also in their own confidence and agency. In their research on the impact of youth participation in advocacy and civic life, UNICEF found that such involvement helps strengthen identity, promote responsible decision-making, increase resilience, and bolster the belief that young people can shape their own futures.
On a broader scale, UNICEF said that youth participation strengthens democratic systems. This is especially important now, when 63% of young people aged 16-29 agree that ‘democracy in the UK is in trouble,’ per a recent poll by the John Smith Center.
It’s clear that young people can act as major catalysts for change. It’s now up to youth advocates and mentors to expand their avenues for success. LMP Action’s Youth Board seeks to do just that by allowing young people in Hammersmith and Fulham to realise their potential as agents of change.
Beginning in November, the Youth Board will meet weekly as a new cohort of strong-willed individuals to participate in a 12-week term centred on campaigning and advocacy. Through workshops, guest speakers, and self-led community engagements, Youth Board members will collaborate to strengthen their civic involvement and leadership skills by developing their own campaigns, which they will present to the H&F Youth Council at the end of the term.
After the first term, board members will subsequently enter two more 12-week terms, each with its own theme centred on community engagement and leadership. This year’s Youth Board session will last through mid-July 2026.
If you are aged 14-18 and live or attend school in Hammersmith and Fulham and can commit to weekly Wednesday meetings from 7pm-9pm beginning November 5th, apply here by October 27th.
Written By Aela Shaw, LMP Action Intern
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