After years of hand-wringing over youthful disengagement, it seems that the young people of Britain are finally on the move – in the direction of the nearest polling station. Announcing a record late rush to register last week, the electoral commission was desperate to trumpet the success of a recent Facebook campaign, with just over 40% of those visiting its dedicated website hailing from the coveted 18-24 age group.
Apparently, it's all down to that steady-gazed Nick Clegg (as have been most things over the past seven days, aside from volcanic ash and Jennifer Aniston's continuing inability to find lasting love). Nearly half of registrations came after last week's first leaders' debate, while YouGov figures show that the Lib Dem surge evidenced disproportionately among the young. Clegg himself stated his untrammelled joy at the prospect of increased youth participation in an article for the Guardian last week.
But the assumption that the younger generation has only just woken up to Old Politics thanks to its presence in New Media is a dubious one, as is the impression that first-time voters are more likely to plump for the Anyone-But-You-Lot candidate than the rest of the electorate. Perhaps it was just because they couldn't see he had his hands in his pockets, but Radio One listeners were plenty happy to monster Clegg about immigration policy and expenses on a live phone-in, just as they had Gordon Brown before him. As usual, when politicians actually talk to young people rather than about them, they discover they are as nationally disenchanted, locally primed and non-consensual as everyone else. When Cameron next attempts to explain what he means by Big Society (ideally without an egg-throwing unhuggable hoodie in the background), he would do well to remember that, over the last year, it was the under-25s, as well as the over-65s, who scored the highest levels of volunteering in the country.
Click on link to read full article by Libby Brooks - Guardian online
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