Transcript
Observations Podcast: Hello. and welcome back to the Democracy Volunteers podcast series. how to increase a turnout. Sorry, can we do that again? Because I think I... Did I freeze there?
Observations Podcast: I think my internet...
James Sloam: You were right on my screen, but I'm not sure yeah do it again anyway, so
Observations Podcast: I think my internet cut and out there, so I'll just skip again. Hello and welcome back to the Democracy Volunteers podcast series. how to increase turnout.
Observations Podcast: In this series, we invite guests from across the world to discuss their unique solutions to the problem of decreasing turnout. In today's episode we're focusing on youth participation.
Observations Podcast: in our elections. Getting young people involved in our politics really matters. because it represents the future of our democracy. And that question has never been more pressing. of the introduction of the Representation of the People Bill which will make 16 and 17 year olds eligible to vote.
Observations Podcast: This increase in franchise comes despite research from the Electoral Commission that only around 30 % of under 18s say they've learned about politics in school or college. To make sense of the state of youth participation in politics and the impact of this increase in franchise, I have the privilege of welcoming Professor of Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway University. James Sloan.
Observations Podcast: James, it's great to have you on to the podcast. How are you getting on?
James Sloam: Thanks for inviting me.
Observations Podcast: Yeah.
James Sloam: we We were discussing before the podcast about Um... Students coming to universities and there are lots of students coming to study politics. So I think that framing the the topics that we're going to be talking about is one indication of the fact that young people are interested in politics in a broader sense.
Observations Podcast: Hmm. I mean... That is absolutely fascinating that we kind of have a a youth participation crisis. Yes. There's... uncharted about people going to university to study politics. I guess it's slightly off script a little bit. do you Do you feel that kind of symbolizes maybe a demographic?
Observations Podcast: change in who engages with politics when they're young and who doesn't.
James Sloam: Yeah. I think also that... the way that young people engage in politics has changed so my generation We voted for parties, maybe we were members. of political parties even.
James Sloam: Now, even if I... speak to a room of my politics students it's maybe one of them will be a member of of a political party but probably all of them will be politically engaged in issues that have meaning.
James Sloam: their everyday lives so it could be an environment it human rights. It could be something within their local community. There are so many different issues and different ways of pursuing those issues. i think The problem is is that there's this gap between Young people and the political system not between young people and politics or political issues
Observations Podcast: And I guess... in your research that kind of symbolizes but talks about how You talked about how young people have disengaged in politics. from traditional electoral politics to more forms of civic engagement is that is that what you're talking about there and can you kind of flesh that out a little bit more
James Sloam: yeah and And in one way, when I started out doing this research a long time ago, I was quite optimistic. and i was trends and seeing you know people have interesting young people are interested in politics they just take part in social movements, whether it's Black Lives Matter.
James Sloam: the climate strikes, whatever, so that's quite positive. on the other hand it is dangerous that you have this gap between young people and political system because it means that when political decisions are made that affect young people.
James Sloam: then politicians don't worry too much. about young people because they don't form that much. of the electorate and you know we live in an aging society and so if you look at issues of let's say like the triple lock and pensions I'm not necessarily against that. but we have seen over the past 10 -20 years.
James Sloam: a move of resources away from younger generations towards older generations and you know some of it's very necessary with health care as we have aging populations but it's interesting that at the same time. as you had all the all of these cuts to youth services so 75 percent of cuts Take it. to youth services in England.
James Sloam: um you also have this triple lock and this large increase in pensions and so i think That. it's just one illustration of the fact that yes it's great young people engaged in political issues but this gap between young people in the political system is a problem and you're into that vacuum may step false information, disinformation.
James Sloam: and populist politics so these are things we've got to worry about and i lay the fault not at
Observations Podcast: mean
James Sloam: the feet of young people, but definitely are the fault of um politicians who've ignored. younger generations. for far too long.
Observations Podcast: And James, is that because just... young people don't vote in the same numbers that older people do so politicians would prioritize that kind of older people's wishes.
Observations Podcast: And my next question is how how do you fix this? How would you get more people to vote? and for them to be a bigger part of the electorate that politicians cannot ignore. certain policies.
James Sloam: Yeah, well, I do think votes at 16 is important. it's a little more than one and a half million probably. of 16 to 17 year olds will be. entitled to vote. That does increase it just in numerical terms, but I think with this.
James Sloam: dissatisfaction with young people about the delivery so large large figures in youth unemployment. youth services cuts um all of these issues situation in the Middle East which we probably don't have time to go into now. um But there are all these issues that young people feel let down by politicians. But for me, a lot of it is about scale.
James Sloam: Because if you are... to increase youth participation you have to do the work between elections young people quite rightly, but quite cynical. about politicians trying to get their vote just at election time but if you can do the work ah grassroots level.
James Sloam: between elections it can make a real difference and we'll see what happens but Andy Burnham's new idea of rewiring the and british state so having more power in cities in particular Maybe.
James Sloam: um a way of opening up some of these opportunities for young people to have these influence across the board in issues within their communities. that they can see makes a makes a real difference and sorry to go on for so long but it really builds into what as political scientists we call this topic of efficacy.
James Sloam: so what efficacy means is that you have a belief that Yo. participation can make a difference. internally it means having knowledge about politics but also ah maybe having the skills, so maybe public speaking or anything like that.
James Sloam: externally externally it means that the political institutions need to offer young people the opportunities to participate so we can teach young people about politics all we like but if the supply of politics is really poor.
James Sloam: they quite logically will turn back to social movements and maybe Not. um participate with political parties. and What? we hope would be the case.
Observations Podcast: That's fascinating because... Something that really struck me in... research for this podcast. is this gap between you have 16 and 17 year olds. maybe been given the right to vote.
Observations Podcast: but only around 30 % of them under 18 say that they've learned about politics in school or college. and you would suggest actually maybe the education aspect. is less important. then the ability for young people to participate in their local communities.
James Sloam: i Think they should be seen should be put together really because um so actually in the uk Um, well in england because the education systems are separate.
James Sloam: and we do have a really good citizenship education. GCSE for example and the research I've done is shown that you know people who take that GCSE there is a real uptick in that engagement in politics the problem is is that it's not properly resourced so i think across England last year there were only 20 teachers who are trained to be specialist citizenships. teachers so I think Now part of it is that a lot of
James Sloam: teachers wouldn't feel confident about teaching you political issues. And I do sympathise with them if there's a tricky political issue on immigration or Gaza. that comes up in their classroom.
James Sloam: A lot of teachers are going to run. from that issue and unless they've received specialist training about how to deal with that I think it is going to be a struggle. Salut!
James Sloam: I do think that you do need that teaching in schools. The other reason why schools actually are really important is what I should have said earlier is that young people are engaging.
James Sloam: more in social movements and maybe a little bit less. in electoral participation but it kind of tends to be the same people and it's young people from Um...
James Sloam: who are better off who have higher degrees of educational attainment, who are the ones who both vote and do the other stuff. And so what you've seen over the last 10, 20 years is this real gap.
James Sloam: and between young people from well -off backgrounds or better off backgrounds and young people from lower socioeconomic groups and those are the ones who really tailed off and it's really damaging and because those are the what um young people we really need to say well actually if you vote there is a reason. So at the last...
James Sloam: general election. i think the figures roughly for a 18 to 24 year old's turnout was about 40 which is very low again it it did get higher in 2017.
James Sloam: ah But then... percentage of young people from the lowest socioeconomic groups. it was about 20%. right so one in five so for me.
James Sloam: There is a problem with young people voting, but quite specifically, it's young people from less well -off backgrounds who, for quite understandable reasons, don't think they're politicians. are representing them.
Observations Podcast: um um I guess you touched on it a little bit there but... The next question has to be, why why is one in five people from lower social... economic backgrounds, not voting compared to their slightly More. the same more educated and wealthier counterparts.
James Sloam: i think knowledge about politics is one thing but i think that there has been you know a lot of So first of all, a lot of things have been taken away from young people from those poorer backgrounds, whether it's increases in child poverty.
James Sloam: whether it's youth services and the record number of youth centres being um shot shoted um All of these things make a difference and also if they're being priced out when they turn I change.
James Sloam: They're being priced out by the housing market, especially we obviously feel that in the southeast in London, but it's... similar in lots of other areas as well. so I think. you know it's much harder for young people from those backgrounds and if you look at the young youth unemployment figures from the milburn report They're very high. But what he also points to, which is.
James Sloam: Equally as important is that social mobility has stalled. So therefore, those young people, and they know it. it's harder for them to um get on in life and maybe if you're from a poorer background and to get a good job which will make you become comfortable have good house of all of those things that I guess everyone wants and so I think we've really got to think about how we deliver.
James Sloam: to those young people and how. politicians have got to think about how they engage and actually offer them something a little bit more. tangible.
Observations Podcast: Focusing in on the bill itself that would decrease suffrage. Sorry. So focusing in on the bill itself that would decrease suffrage.
Observations Podcast: I know that you... works with the government and advise the government. I wonder what... your take on the bill itself is and your experience advising the government through that process.
James Sloam: I think... and I will a lot of ways it's it's excellent and you know the people the civil servants who are working on it really smart people and they understand what has to be achieved but with um youth engagement it needs to be joined up so And it's not.
James Sloam: So what you have to... What should be happening is you have votes at 16 being joined up with the new national curriculum in England where citizenship education, to be fair, is being enhanced.
James Sloam: whether they'll have the trained teachers to deliver it or not. is a completely different question but you know that's that's another department they could coordinate with. So I don't know if you know, but it's the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government that's technically in charge of of votes at six.
Observations Podcast: Mm.
James Sloam: and the people that in their own Harriet are doing a good job. but There's also people in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. which have this new National Youth Strategy, which is... ah Amazing! which is censors youth voice and between elections the sort of thing that we were talking about but that's not really being coordinated between of them and
James Sloam: Uh... and the vote the votes of 16 people and you know there are lots of good people doing excellent stuff the the other issue of course is um what the difference between coordinating work at central government and local government so I've been to events on votes at 16 where lots of people from London councils come along and they're just thinking how are we going to deliver this how are we going to get young people registered And it helps. you know saying to
James Sloam: to fall to them i think in london they have a bit of an advantage because they can all travel a few miles and sit together in a room.
Observations Podcast: Hmm.
James Sloam: And that's a massive advantage in terms of the coordination of how electoral officials work and how they come engage young people. uh but it's a real issue and the the other thing that um Is it real?
James Sloam: problem is this idea of automatic voter registration which initially was going to be tied under Starmer government to those um digital IDs we were all gonna have now on I'm not necessarily a massive fan of the digital age ideas but what they would have done is they would have provided a really easy way of registering people automatically onto the electoral roll. So we we could have had... in a nice way of doing it. I don't think there's a real...
James Sloam: Come here an idea of how we actually Yeah. people registered on for the electoral roll and i think that's uh Worrying issues, so you're you're relying on parents still to do it or Or do schools get involved? How much do schools get involved? Is it really their job to be just doing one more thing? that maybe other services should be doing.
James Sloam: On the other hand, it's a huge opportunity because if you can socialise young people through schools, tell them about the elections, show them how to register to vote. all of these things That's a massive opportunity because then you can reach those young people who are really trying to get to vote those young people from those who are associated.
James Sloam: on it. background whose voice needs to be heard and then it really needs to be heard urgently.
Observations Podcast: Yeah. Yeah, I was gonna... Kind of. I don't remember exactly what you said there. kind of actually schools are real amazing opportunity to set really good. practices and that if you encourage registration maybe at that younger age then these habits continue throughout life.
Observations Podcast: Something from your work that I thought was absolutely fascinating was... You work on youth quake. when you examined the 2017 general election with matt hen and In that election... i Observed. Oh. listeners might have known.
Observations Podcast: youth participation, youth vote share increased from 40 % to 60 % for this election. What can we learn from the engagement of younger voters?
Observations Podcast: from the 2017 general election.
James Sloam: it's It's a really good question. and I'm surprised in some ways that The political parties haven't. Looked at this and seen oh well, you know lots of young people were engaged, but so.
James Sloam: Basically, um it was built upon um Jeremy Corbyn and whether people like or hate Jeremy Corbyn is kind of not the point here and the point is that a lot of young people like the way that he connected directly with them. I know this is a bit of a cliche but he went to glass Glastonbury he kind of put his neck on them lighten.
James Sloam: left on the line a little bit because there could have been jeers it could it it could have all turned out and quite differently that he actually went to um He... got engaged with musicians, in the grime scene for example in London.
James Sloam: That was quite big. so And he also made a direct attempt to appeal to... on issues to young people and okay these are issues that Some political parties wouldn't adhere to now. So one of them was getting rid of student tuition fees for example.
James Sloam: um But I think you do need to offer people something tangible. And I had a lot of frustration. and This wasn't working with one political party, but with several political parties. and trying to get youth.
James Sloam: issues onto their agendas in 2024 it was just a huge struggle they didn't the people who are trying to promote it within the political parties um really struggled to get it past the strategists at national level and that was an issue across uh most political parties perhaps with the exception of the greens The other thing to note is the forms of communication, so young people prefer forms of horizontal
James Sloam: communication through social media. So almost what you need to do if you're being clever. is engage some young people to engage other young people and this was the Genius.
James Sloam: which hasn't been taken up by a lot of political parties of the 2008 Obama campaign. America is a lot less centralized. So maybe it works better. So maybe parties can just give people power in the States to do whatever they want.
James Sloam: want but you know people who running bake sales and doing all sorts of things because The Obama um campaign allowed young people to go off with it, sell their message. But I think what you'll find is that when...
James Sloam: young people so i spoke to a lot of young people who are members of political parties and they're more or less told to shut up and a baby. um central party messaging and this is across you know all of the main parties and so I think.
James Sloam: Issues definitely um we could see from 2017. election. um they were important but also that um idea of communication and empowering young people and getting them to engage other young people that's kind of how it works and social movements, but politicians in. the uk especially the main parties are very bad at letting go of control of the messaging.
James Sloam: Sorry.
Observations Podcast: And James is... Is that going to change? Because you talked about how Obama mobilised. this strategy of young people affecting young people. I've never heard that before. and i kind of It makes a lot of sense. and then you see Corbyn's strategy which kind of resembled that.
James Sloam: Yeah.
Observations Podcast: There's a lot of talk at the minute about actually coming going through the next election. that is very likely there to be a hung parliament. Are political strategists on the green or in labour? thinking Actually, do you know what? If we can enact this similar strategy, this can really affect the turnout of the election in 2029 or whenever whenever it is.
James Sloam: I still haven't seen much evidence of it, which is strange. um you know maybe this is me being um cynical but I don't really some of the political strategies that are used by political parties very much look at things at aggregate level, so at the big scale. you know I understand that Uh...
James Sloam: they may drill drill down to constituencies as well but they have quite an old -fashioned way of working, I think hopefully what... strategy should realize is that in this multi -party system that we have now so The two big parties, Labour and um Conservative, are their share of vote in opinion polls and at the last election was... the the lowest almost on record.
James Sloam: And so I think... i hope i've got this right but Yep. proportion of young people who voted for Labour and Conservative combined. and went from about three quarters.
James Sloam: Um... 2019 to about less than half in 2024. and if you look at the opinion polls now it's you know more in about a quarter of young voters are supporting the two big parties.
James Sloam: So in this climate where you have Hey. Multi -party system really it means that the margins are going to be smaller um right and these you're gonna have lots of um quite marginal situations and where people don't quite know where to vote or who's going to win and this Very small margins are going to make a difference. so I'm going to spend the next couple of years trying to convince political strategists actually if they do something for younger voters.
James Sloam: Just if you look even if you look at the 16 year old that's Two or three thousand I think in each constituency. I probably haven't 100 % sure of the exact numbers.
James Sloam: And it depends on the constituency. constituencies are much younger than others actually they could buy um improving that. their youth offer, but also by improving their weight. communication. they could do much better. And actually we spoke to, so I did a piece of research where we spoke to young people from.
James Sloam: marginalised groups with Partnership for Young London. and the pan london children and care commission so you know so a lot of them were care leavers or in still in care.
James Sloam: And they some of them, you know, they were saying why don't you get young people to do your Social media communication. I mean I I do I'm not exactly sure of the age demographic of the people who do that, but the political communications was described as cringe on you know by the young people.
James Sloam: you know those are the ones so a labor person would say young person say, oh my god, I was embarrassed by the comms of our party, but equally lived then. Young person would say the same so it's not A party political issue. It's just they look at that and they say oh my god. They cannot communicate with young people, their messaging is poor.
Observations Podcast: Hmm.
James Sloam: Interestingly, because you were looking at examples from... 2017 but If you look at Zoran Mandani, the new mayor of New York. And look at his communication style now that um okay not everyone can be as charismatic as him so he's a very charismatic guy um However...
James Sloam: His style of communication was really you know, I have two or three issues and I'm gonna go around New York I'm gonna... put my stuff up on um social media but i'm also going to speak to um Normal people and what some people don't recognize with Mandani is he's been doing it for about three you know this has been going on for three or four years so he's been building up and building up support and speaking to people
James Sloam: uh even before the presidential election so it's not not quite as a flash in the pan so he's been doing the ground work And I think that's... A real...
James Sloam: So let's say young yeah let's say Conservative Party, for example, said, okay, let's we've been doing really badly, and they did do really pet rid badly with young people in the last election. Let's go.
James Sloam: Let's do something on, I don't know, the environment the natural environment parts or something. in which I think it's fairly uncontroversial. Let's, you know, cleaning up the parks and better.
Observations Podcast: and
James Sloam: Um... let's try and do something in every community let's get some young people on board let's get their ideas and spread that you know i think that's kind of I think getting young people's ideas, not just treating them in a quite instrumental way, I think is really important. because Young people were spot That inauthenticity, if that's a word. and Straight away. They'll say okay. Yeah, they're just there to what to have a photo shoot with young people.
James Sloam: Doesn't work.
Observations Podcast: Yeah. I mean, it's really interesting that you bring up the example of mandani because I mean... ultimately he's he has been fantastic on social media at kind of conveying his message whatever you think of his message How?
Observations Podcast: How much can actual the political parties learn from what Mandani has done? Or is... and you use the example of the conservatives there but is how much naivety do the political parties have towards social media and from your experience?
Observations Podcast: How willing are political strategists from these? parties willing to engage and really use this medium.
James Sloam: I think They engage with it, but they're there any that it tends to be not an interactive um Processed so it tends to be one person um or the party. um giving people a message, not really encouraging them to take that message on or really asking them for their ideas. you know say your name's on but you could just say okay Um...
James Sloam: any party could say i um we're looking for like five ideas from young people about how you can improve their community. Abedin. It's kind of a no -brainer, but I think that...
James Sloam: um Also, it's how you use platforms, and I think you can use platforms locally. i think the what Mandani and other successful people like uh obama have done Okay.
James Sloam: Jeremy Corbyn. to be fair. is that they It's a hybrid strategy of mobilization. So yes, you do have social media, but you also have local meetups. and go yeah if if you thinking about the if you do care about these issues great and why don't you come along to our um how so our local meeting.
James Sloam: and local meetings um i don't know if you've personally ever been to and political party local meeting or council meetings but Yeah, it does. they do tend to be you know, very old, very middle class, um white people. mostly male although gender balance isn't as much of a problem as the age balance I think.
James Sloam: or the ethnicity balance sometimes but you know and sometimes these meetings are even run at you know funny times so they'd run during the day when young people would be at school um or maybe working so i think it's that thinking about communication in a broader sense as an ecology you've got to think about well how does that work at li different levels. How do people meet up? How can we get people who are championing a message to reach out to other people? because but
James Sloam: They want to hear from people like them more than they do. from political parties. and that um I use this phrase which I stole from a former West German Chancellor, Willy Brandt, called the idea of daring more democracy.
James Sloam: you're gonna like not be too worried about them you know someone going a little bit off message and just say okay yeah but that's that's just one of our groups who came up with this a statement on what's happening in the middle east for example Um...
James Sloam: I don't think parties in this country are ready for that. because they're so centralized. and so They may be strategists themselves. pulling their hair out and literally saying look you need to do it this way i mean so i'm not there on those inner meetings and the political and ah the political advisors say no because then they might say something radical that we don't like. and Yeah so...
James Sloam: I will keep banging the drum and I think eventually they're going to have to get it because the younger generations as they move up. and get older. more and more people will be getting their having their news consumption online so they've got to and get stuck in there and i think eventually some party will mainstream party will do really well and the others will follow that tends to be what happens.
Observations Podcast: Yeah. And James, something that you've really... touched on something really interesting there which actually is the increased amounts of time that people get their that young people get their news from social media.
James Sloam: Yeah.
Observations Podcast: I wonder... it's worth talking about the challenges of digital media so far we've seen it as kind of a big opportunity for Opportunities for political parties. parties. Where do you see the main issues with social media and politics? and How much of a problem is misinformation for younger?
Observations Podcast: for young people
James Sloam: I think it's so it's ah it's a big problem, but I sort of... first. I'm trying to just dispel a bit of a stereotype. There have been studies which have shown that older people are more likely in terms of the percentage of stuff they read to forward fake news because they don't understand social media and what's online quite as well as young people do. However,
James Sloam: young people consume increasing amount of um of the news. online and through social media i would say however there are gatekeepers there and the gatekeepers Hit the social media influencers.
James Sloam: They could be the BBC though, you know, so... it's i think there almost needs to be more research about what that means in terms of political use because it tends to be the Matching more reliable ones that are used much more often However... you know there are a number of problems so i work with um groups that try and get for example young women into to and politics.
James Sloam: and the abuse that they will... Receive. um puts them off and not just at stage of getting into politics but also if you're a female politician just think After a while, oh my god, I just had enough of this. This is horrible.
James Sloam: Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand, who was very popular. And that's the reason why she left. she just like I've had enough of that and I kind of worried about my you know, my daughter what she's gonna grow up into all this like You know file stuff that's directed ah so So... In one sense it has a bit of a censoring effect.
James Sloam: on some young people. On the other hand it can also have this sort of echo chamber. effect um I'm less worried in terms of in social media because It used to be the case that actually people would only speak to other people, let's say in their working men's club, and they would be only exposed to similar views. and Dad.
James Sloam: Exposed to those online online you actually get exposed to more different views. However The problem is the extremism because if you're if you hold very extremist views...
James Sloam: and there might be 10 people let's say within your local area who are like that within the country you're suddenly connected to. Um... 600 times that if they were 10 in your constituency. And so so and then internationally, it's an even bigger group.
James Sloam: And so therefore... There are some quite extremist... um content that We could talk about the horrifying effect effect that it might have on people and traumatizing that. That's that's another. point.
James Sloam: But... It's almost being presented as mainstream. And it's not. and so I think this you know so extremism and populism. it It fills that vacuum where people don't know much about politics and they feel with really disenfranchised.
James Sloam: Say... My point would be, yeah, you could have a social media ban. I don't think there's any ah evidence they really work because people get their own VPNs and then they're totally exposed to nasty content.
James Sloam: or get their parents is parents IDs to log in. but the better way of doing it is to try and fill that vacuum and actually to be honest to to try and regulate social media. companies. i Well, I can think of some reasons but I am slightly mystified why Um...
James Sloam: politicians don't go harder on social media companies. Maybe they're a afraid of them. you know maybe they're afraid of the backlash but actually
Observations Podcast: Hmm.
James Sloam: According to the experts I've spoken to, you can actually get rid of this extremist. um content fairly easy easily all the social media companies could do It wouldn't cost that much money, but it's being less deliberately less moderated. So if you look at Twitter and X and all the moderators and being fired when Elon Musk came in they deliberately want what they call free speech but obviously in you know it's Free some people have more resources and extremist continent
James Sloam: invites that sort of extremist content because it gets more likes and tweets and whatever, so... Yeah, I think the ban on... social media for On the 16s. i'm so sorry if i can just go on to that i'm kind of in two minds and that because For one cent.
James Sloam: I get it. Kiss. You want to teach them about politics. You don't want them to be exposed to this sort of content extremism and populism from a political side, never mind all of the other nasty stuff.
James Sloam: But I was speaking to a young man who I think she's 15 or 16 at an event and she was telling me well she that's how she actually reached out to all the young people in her borough in london to actually get them to support her and to get them to come out and talk about these courses. So there are two sides, and I think that...
James Sloam: We just need to fill the vacuum of that. you know politics by working with young people in school so they're more knowledgeable about politics etc and providing opportunities locally and then take on the social media companies. But you know I'm not the one taking them on, so I'm not exposing myself to... the challenges but that that is Everyone knows it cases.
James Sloam: how and when I think. That will happen because I think it will over the next few years, especially with the run up to our general election.
Observations Podcast: Yeah.
Observations Podcast: Yes. And looking forward to the next general election. I've got to say, it's been a fascinating conversation, James. And... My last question for you is... what does in your mind in your opinion what does a successful application of the increase in franchise for 16 and 17 year olds actually look like.
Observations Podcast: in 2029.
James Sloam: so so for me if you can get them registered at very high levels and we will at some point have the and registration levels so This is sort of quite technical and boring but um when we removed individual Um,
James Sloam: voter registration. a few years ago, there's a report called The Missing Million. We lost millions of young people off the electoral register. so so i think If we have a successful electoral registration scheme through schools, that would be amazing. because it actually what you'll find is these 16 and 17 year olds will be registered maybe more than the the current 18 to 24 year olds and so that's great.
James Sloam: I think if you can have more collections and things like that in schools next to the the education, I know a lot of schools run these anyway, I think that would be really... I'm good um I think if schools can discuss these issues, some schools are already brilliant at it. some schools to nothing?
James Sloam: Um... But then I... i do feel a bit guilty about passing the buck onto to your own schools because they have a hell of a lot to get on on with themselves.
James Sloam: And so then I think you need those connections at a local level. So there's all this devolutions and community empowerment. There's a bill coming through Parliament. Um, next year i'm not i'm not entirely sure i'm not sure the decision's been made I think local authorities and communities and local leaders really have and a responsibility to engage with young people. So that's what I'd like to see. I'd like to see not just the work going on.
James Sloam: election time getting them registered because in a way that's quite instrumental and functional. young people don't think there's a reason for them to vote, why should they? But I want the parties that... a national level.
James Sloam: but also actually at a local level doing the work between elections so actually engage young people in what they're doing because often you know and someone was sort of telling me there's if you actually that there is decade -long studies in Chicago.
James Sloam: There's a book called The Great American City that goes into this. in great detail that looks at equally obviously there are lots of very deprived areas in chicago but they're two equally deprived areas in Chicago that they studied.
James Sloam: One. Terrible. No community engagement, no engagement by the parties with young people there. And then... the equally deprived one you know quite vibrant a lot of the crimes being sorted out it looks a lot better visually because you know there's not as much graffiti and things aren't as broken up and so so why does this happen i think
James Sloam: maybe in some ways unrealistic to expect local authorities to do this job because they don't have much money either and their youth services are still you know They don't have much money for that.
James Sloam: but they can use the volunteering. The voluntary sector I think can play a vital, the third sector can play a vital bridging role between young people. and these um local authorities.
James Sloam: And actually that's a very good way of local authorities. um They can spend half the money and by giving that supporting local initiatives and civil society groups and charities to actually do. this job for them and use them to connect with.
James Sloam: But that those. A lot of that was also cut. um previously so You want these vibrant civil societies to actually help. support what's happening politically. and so And then finally, nationally, I do think leaders. I want to see there being a youth offer. from the um parties. that's quite explicit and there was nothing much from the Labour Party on it.
James Sloam: and last lecture, all the conservatives. party. Libs Dems didn't do a huge amount. and the greens did more. and reform didn't really do anything either. So we did some analysis of the party manifestos for that.
James Sloam: i think though I think that you can actually do this. You can actually promise promise. certain things to young people you know we if we get in we will do this you know we and will make your
Observations Podcast: Mm.
James Sloam: lives easier. I think that can be done. But wouldn't it be nice if something was written by young people for each other? parties and there was a clear manifesto about you know Why? you should get engaged because we're doing these five things.
James Sloam: Three things maybe. that would make your life easier and i i think with a cost of living crisis that's what people want to hear. at the moment with a tag on of maybe a couple of environmental issues because obviously that's something everyone's a lot of people are scared about at the moment as well
Observations Podcast: Yeah. Well, James, that's all we have time for. Thank you very much for coming on to the podcast. That was absolutely fascinating.
James Sloam: Yeah, great. It was a pleasure speaking to you and I hope the podcast goes well because it's a really important issue to discuss.
Observations Podcast: Thank you. You can watch or listen to the Democracy Volunteers podcast across all your major streaming apps. I've been your host Joshua Paisley. and Thank you for listening.
