It was the young wot 'won' it for Jeremy Corbyn
Labour Party boosted by biggest youth turnout at general election for 25 years, says study
Britain's young people helped Jeremy Corbyn to upset the odds at the general election, turning out to vote in their biggest numbers for 25 years, new figures show.
A study from Ipsos Mori reveals how Labour increased its share of the vote from 30 per cent in 2015 to 40 per cent this month, with age apparently replacing class as the biggest determiner of how people cast their ballot. According to the study, the gap between voters of different social classes has narrowed more than ever before.
As well as appealing to young people, the middle classes and black and ethnic minority groups, Labour also expanded its core vote.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The result was made possible by a strengthening of the party's traditional supporters," the International Business Times says.
Golden age
At the 2005 general election, 18 to 24-year-olds accounted for seven per cent of all votes cast, while the over-65s cast 25 per cent. That imbalance shrank this year, with the youngest members of the electorate casting ten per cent of all votes and the oldest 23 per cent.
"On party support, we saw the biggest age gap between Labour and Conservatives since we started compiling comprehensive statistics on how people voted in the 1970s," Bobby Duffy, Ipsos Mori's managing director, told the New Statesman.
Kenny Imafidon, director of youth charity Bite the Ballot, said he was not surprised by the increased youth vote.
"Despite what some commentators will tell you, young people have always been political," he told BuzzFeed News.
The effect this demographic reshaping has on the political landscape could be profound, says the Financial Times.
"For decades a vicious cycle has been in motion: young people do not turn out to vote in large numbers, so politicians do not prioritise their needs when crafting their manifestos - so youth disillusionment with politics grows," it adds.
However, continues the paper, research suggests that after a person has voted once, they are "much more likely to vote in subsequent elections than those who have had an opportunity to vote and opted not to".
A touch of class
"The 2017 general election's denting of long-held political assumptions is sharpest on the issue of social class," says The Guardian.
While the Tories maintained a six-point lead among the more affluent ABC1 voters, Labour increased its share of the vote among the same group by 12 points compared with the last general election, its best score since 1979.
Among poorer C2DE voters, Labour maintained a four-point lead - but the Conservative share increased 12 points.
"The Conservatives fared best this year in the most working-class areas of the country, due in large part to their capture of the majority of 2015 UK Independence Party voters," says the FT.
Polling expert John Curtice told The Sun that Corbyn was boosted by a swing from professional and managerial level voters, far from the party's historical backers.
Labour had seen a "tsunami of support" from young, middle-class, pro-Remain voices, he added, crediting this to a combination of policies on student debt, housing and a more measured tone on Brexit.
"This is an election at which social class becomes less important as a base of Conservative and Labour support than we have seen in the whole of the post-war period," he said.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The hunt for Planet Nine
Under The Radar Researchers seeking the elusive Earth-like planet beyond Neptune are narrowing down their search
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Magazine interactive crossword - April 26, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - April 26, 2024
By The Week US Published
-
Magazine solutions - April 26, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - April 26, 2024
By The Week US Published
-
Will Aukus pact survive a second Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question US, UK and Australia seek to expand 'game-changer' defence partnership ahead of Republican's possible return to White House
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Britain's biggest political donors
The Explainer With the 2024 general election set to be the highest-spending contest ever we look at who is giving to which party and why
By The Week UK Published
-
It's the economy, Sunak: has 'Rishession' halted Tory fightback?
Today's Big Question PM's pledge to deliver economic growth is 'in tatters' as stagnation and falling living standards threaten Tory election wipeout
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What will £28bn green investment U-turn cost Labour?
Today's Big Question Dropping flagship pledge 'will confirm workers' scepticism of the endless promises of jam tomorrow', said union leader
By The Week UK Published
-
Why your local council may be going bust
The Explainer Across England, local councils are suffering from grave financial problems
By The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak and the right-wing press: heading for divorce?
Talking Point The Telegraph launches 'assault' on PM just as many Tory MPs are contemplating losing their seats
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
How many seats do Labour and the Tories need to win?
In depth Changes to constituency boundaries mean Labour needs even bigger swing at next election to form a majority
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published