There is widespread recognition that the image of politics as dominated by middle-aged, middle-class, privately- and university-educated white men (with degrees in phisolophy, politics, and economics, or PPE) turns a lot of people cold. It’s no surprise, then, that people who see politics as disproportionately inhabited by the privileged are less likely to be politically active. And young people have often been less likely to engage with ‘formal’ politics by voting, joining a party, or writing to their representatives. Are these two things connected? Do they disengage because they see politics as dominated by privileged groups from which they are excluded? The UK Youth Poll 2026 survey data allow us to answer this question in three charts.
Rich, educated men are heard more than enough
When asked which groups get a fair hearing in UK politics, 16–29-year-olds identify four groups as heard enough or too much by the political system: people with high incomes, men, people with higher educational qualifications, and those who live in England. Comfortably more than half of young people see all of these groups as at least ‘mostly heard’ in UK politics. In the case of high-income people, more than half see them as ‘heard a lot’ or ‘too much.’ Together, these groups stand out as being politically privileged.
By contrast, only a quarter of young people think that they are at least ‘mostly heard’ in UK politics, and more than seven in ten think that they are, at most, ‘somewhat heard.’ The figures are similar for people with low incomes and lower educational qualifications, in clear contrast with the views of rich and highly-educated people being heard more than enough by the political system. Also seen as less politically privileged are carers and people with disabilities. Young people, then, affirm the widespread view that people who are marginalised in society are also marginalised in politics. And they include themselves in this group.
Politics isn’t working but it’s still worth doing
Young people’s scepticism about their voices being heard translates into wider concern about the state of politics. More than six in ten think that democracy in the UK is in trouble, and a similar proportion think that politics is too divisive. But this has not led to widespread hopelessness regarding politics. Despite their scepticism, more than half still think that their vote can help shape the future of the UK and that getting involved in politics is honourable. And more than three times more young people choose democracy over dictatorship than vice versa.
How we interpret these numbers, however, depends on what we expect from democracy. Is it enough for a simple majority to think that their vote matters, politics is honourable, and that democracy is better than dictatorship? Or should we hope that a functioning democratic system delivers more widespread positive views of politics? A final result is illustrative here: just under half of young people think that politics is not relevant to their lives. We should probably hope for a better than fifty-fifty split in political decisions affecting everything from taxes to trains, and from healthcare to immigration, being relevant to people’s lives. And these results suggest that young people are at a crossroads: if their views become more sceptical we will lose even the slim majorities who view politics in a somewhat positive light. Beyond that, if scepticism becomes the norm, then the struggle to create a functional, positively viewed political system could become even more challenging.
Barriers to politics: politicians, practical constraints and not knowing how
In a stark illustration of their sense of marginalisation from politics, the most popularly identified barriers to civic and political participation by young people are a lack of trust in politicians and the sense that they are not listened to. These are followed by practical constraints such as lack of time, other priorities, and lack of money. Finally, young people also indicate a widespread sense that they do not know how to do politics, with around a fifth saying that they don’t know where to start, find it overwhelming or complicated, or think that making political change is too difficult. None of these young people say that they do not want to do politics, just that they feel they cannot.
Needed: political action, representation and civic education
The barriers to politics identified by young people suggest the need for immediate and long-term action to improve politics and open it up to them. With a new prime minster in 10 Downing Street, we can hope that this is simply a matter of image, and that new leadership can change views of politics. And young people do indicate that politicians listening to them and delivering on promises could improve their views of politics and willingness to get involved. Indeed, the UK Youth Poll 2026 again showed that they want government to deliver on bread-and-butter issues such as jobs and job security, housing affordability, and the cost of living.
But the problems run deeper than that. Large numbers of young people think that they are not sufficiently heard in UK politics and that politicians do not listen to them. This indicates a need to expand and reinvest in efforts to ensure that politics represents the population, both in terms of policy and who ends up as elected representatives. Similarly, the young people who say that do not know how to get involved are suggesting a need for widespread, consistent and high-quality civic education in schools and beyond. Without addressing these issues, there is a risk that they will turn away from politics and become more politically marginalised than they already feel.
Note: This blog is based on a presentation given as part of the British Academy’s Ideas Festival 2026.
