Can youth leaders make politics work for young people?
- Text by Alex King
Across Europe, austerity programmes and spending cuts have fallen hardest on young people. High levels of youth unemployment have led to unprecedented youth migration in search of work and opportunities. Unless the balance of power shifts, governments seem likely to continue viewing cuts that affect young people as soft targets and failing to invest in future generations.
But will the UK’s forthcoming general election offer an opportunity to change this? Despite huge efforts to increase participation, youth voter registration still lags behind the rest of the population. Four-fifths of British young people are politically engaged but are still struggling to make their voices heard in mainstream politics.
Shout Out UK, a youth-run independent media platform, have teamed up with Channel 4 to present the first youth leaders debate on Tuesday April 28 – watch it online from 8pm. Young representatives from each of the seven major British political parties will go head-to-head to discuss the political issues that matter to young people.
“I am 22 and for my generation this is an important event, for the first time in Britain, we are actively able to hear the political debate from a young person’s perspective,” explains Shout Out founder Matteo Bergamini. “We have the power to speak our mind. It is our right, as well as our duty to demand a better future.”
The youth leaders will be discussing major themes of the mainstream election campaign, but also issues that are particularly important to young people, like education and housing.
Are Britain’s youth political leaders in touch with the issues that matter to young people? Do they have have the answers to the issues we face? And can they fight for politicians to take young people’s needs seriously? Tune in to the debate to find out.
Britain’s first Youth Leaders’ Debate takes place on Tuesday April 28 and will be available to watch online at All4 from 8pm.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
An intimate window into New York’s ’70s lesbian scene
We Others — An exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery combines Donna Gottschalk’s unearthed photographs of LGBTQ+ activists and friends, along with Hélène Gianneccini’s written histories.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The Pope has declared holy war on AI
The New Butlerian Jihad — In his first encyclical letter, Pope Leo XIV addressed the increasing pervasiveness of artificial intelligence as a threat to the already fragile structures of society. Newsletter columnist Emma Garland makes sense of it all.
Written by: Emma Garland
On the frontlines of Britain’s ’80s protest movements
Protest and Equality — Against a backdrop of Thatcherism, hospital closures and global conflict, photographer Sarah Saunders was a documentarian of the long decade’s effects on society, as well as the communities actively resisting it.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Inside the UK’s amateur robot wars scene
Bot Builders — Decades after the sport’s ’90s television heyday, a community of enthusiasts are continuing the craft of building extravagant machines for duelling. Juliet Nottingham attends a Bristol competition to witness the damage, destruction and intricately engineered fighters.
Written by: Juliet Nottingham
In photos: The gritty golden age of the UK’s skateboarding scene
Elsewhere — A new book from Science Vs. Life founder Neil Macdonald explores the characters, photographs and ephemera that defined the sport in the ’80s and ’90s, just before the internet and commercialisation changed it forever.
Written by: Isaac Muk
6 years on from George Floyd, how much more accessible is the outdoors for People of Colour?
Second Nature — A new report by The Mix Global highlights continued barriers that marginalised folks face when exploring nature, despite attempts at greater representation. Phil Young takes stock of how far we’ve come.
Written by: Phil Young
