Half of youngsters undecided about voting in subsequent common election
Dame Rachel de Souza’s survey also shows nine in ten young people are worried about the future, with getting a good job and having enough money among kids top concerns
Teenagers could vote in the next general election(Image: Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC)
Half of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 do not know which party to support if there was a general election, or if they’ll even vote. It comes as the Labour government prepares to lower the voting age to 16 at the next election – currently scheduled for 2029.
According to a new survey being launched by the Children’s Commissioner, nine in ten young people are worried about the future, with getting a good job and having enough money among kids top concerns.
Dame Rachel de Souza’s the Big Future report has been launched today at the Commissioner’s second Festival of Childhood in Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum.
Some 28% of the children polled said they do not know which party they would vote for and 20% said they do not know whether they would vote at all. Another 11% said they would not vote in the next general election while a further 11% said they would vote Labour.
READ MORE: Inside Labour’s London election battle as Sadiq Khan issues eve of polling pleaREAD MORE: Higher bills, NHS changes and your rights removed: Here’s what Reform will really mean for you
Reform was the second most popular party at 9%, while 8% said they would cast their ballot for the Green Party. Nine in 10 surveyed said they worry about the future, with concerns ranging from having a good home and enough money and doing well in school to war and conflict.
Dame Rachel de Souza said: “For the first time, hundreds of thousands of children will be eligible to vote in the next general election at 16 – but my polling of how children intend to vote shows teenagers are uncertain about voting. As a nation, we’re at a crossroads.
“We are making the biggest change to the franchise in 50 years, at a time when many are asking if childhood today is as good as it was for generations past.
“There is growing uncertainty about childhood today – from screen time to schooling, from future jobs to AI – yet children consistently tell me they’re not heard and excluded from the debate. “
The commissioner urged local and national politicians to engage with children through visits to schools and community spaces in their constituencies and wards.
She added: “How we respond to children’s challenges will define what it means to grow up in England and shape how a generation engages in democracy for years to come.
“Hearing from children doesn’t just mean listening to them once. It cannot be optional. If we are serious about making children’s lives – their outcomes – better we must listen to them, especially those who are least often heard.”
