By Iain Anderson, chair of the John Smith Centre
The first weeks of any new premiership are filled with expectation. Never more so than now. For our new Prime Minister, there is now a real opportunity to rebuild trust with generations that have too often been forgotten.
The evidence from the John Smith Centre’s UK Youth Poll in the last two years is clear: young people are not disengaged from Britain’s future. They remain optimistic about their own lives, but they are increasingly anxious about the direction of the country and sceptical that politics is delivering for them.
It’s a warning and an opportunity.
Our research shows most young people still believe they can build fulfilling lives. That resilience should be celebrated and nourished.
However, that optimism sits alongside deep concern about the health of our democracy, growing political division, and the affordability of everyday life.
More than half of young people believe British democracy is in trouble, while many feel politics has become increasingly divisive. Encouragingly, support for populist alternatives has fallen since our inaugural poll, suggesting that while faith in our institutions has weakened, commitment to democratic values remains strong.
The new Government should respond with policies that match these concerns.
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First, make economic security the defining mission for young people.
Housing affordability, insecure work, and the rising cost of living continue to shape almost every life decision for those under thirty. Expanding affordable housing, strengthening pathways into good employment, and ensuring that technical education enjoys the same prestige as academic routes would demonstrate that government understands the pressures facing this generation.
The Prime Minister’s early focus on technical education and apprenticeships is welcome, but success will depend on sustained investment and a deep partnership with employers.
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Second, invest in democratic participation rather than simply asking young people to trust politics again.
The UK Youth Poll consistently demonstrates that young people want their voices heard. Schools, colleges, and universities should provide high-quality citizenship education, while local and national government should create more meaningful opportunities for young people to influence policy before decisions are made, not after they have been announced.
Democracy works best when participation becomes a habit rather than an occasional event. And it secures policy change.
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Third, place wellbeing alongside economic opportunity.
Young people increasingly describe pressures associated with uncertainty, social division, and rapid technological change. Mental health support, accessible community spaces, and youth services are not optional extras; they are investments in the resilience of the next generation.
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Finally, government must adopt a long-term mindset.
Too often, policy aimed at young people is fragmented across departments or designed around electoral cycles. Britain’s future competitiveness, social cohesion, and democratic health depend on sustained investment in those who will inherit the country’s institutions.
A cross-government Youth Opportunity Strategy, measured against clear outcomes and informed annually by independent evidence such as the John Smith Centre’s UK Youth Poll, would signal that this Government intends to govern for the next generation, not simply the next election.
The message from Britain’s young people is neither cynical nor unreasonable. They are asking for security, opportunity, and a greater voice in the decisions that shape their lives. If our new Prime Minister can respond to those aspirations with ambition and consistency, he will not only improve the prospects of a generation but strengthen the foundations of Britain’s democracy itself.
We wish him well and stand ready to support.
