Britain’s ruling Labour Party wants to lower the voting age to 16, likely believing this will secure a lasting grip on power. However, a youth demographic once considered reliably left-wing is increasingly turning towards right-wing populist Nigel Farage’s Reform Party.
Farage, known for championing Brexit and reduced immigration, is resonating with young Britons disillusioned by mainstream politics. Recent polling by J.L. Partners reveals that 23 percent of 16 to 17-year-olds support Reform, trailing Labour but well ahead of other parties. Among young males, Farage’s message is particularly persuasive, with Reform tying with Labour at 35 percent.
J.L. Partners director Scarlett Maguire notes Britain’s youth are “turning away from mainstream news sources,” and “anywhere where you might then have more buy-in to the political system is ceasing to apply.”
Farage’s savvy use of social media, especially TikTok, and an appearance on television’s I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here show have made him a more relatable figure to Gen Z.
“Something remarkable is happening out there,” he said ahead of Britain’s July 4 snap election. “There’s an awakening in a younger generation who have had enough of being dictated to.” His party outpolled the establishment-right Conservatives, who had been in power since 2010, among voters under 30. Populist parties in Continental Europe, such as Poland’s Confederation and France’s National Rally, are achieving similarly strong results among the youth.
Farage’s rising influence among the youth suggests a growing appetite for political alternatives, challenging the assumption that young voters will automatically back the left.
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