Broken Britain?
Across the media and politics, there appears to be an on-going narrative that something is fundamentally wrong in Britain. Endless coverage of a “malaise” – whether economic, cultural or political – points to a period of national decline in our living standards, international standing or the public finances.
Some commentators argue that the fabric that holds society together is being torn apart, and it won’t ever be rewoven in the same way. We are warned that our relationships with ourselves, each other, technology and the State are being reformulated in ways we cannot quite comprehend.
To many members of the public our current politicians seem like relics of a bygone era. They speak in a language that feels outdated and ill-equipped to explain, let alone solve, the issues of the present.
Labour’s perceived failings are not seen as the failure of the Labour Party, or even the Centre-Left, but rather they epitomise the failure of the old system of politics, the so-called “neo-liberal consensus” from Thatcher to Starmer.
Even Keir Starmer, Prime Minister, has admitted as much, stating, albeit unconvincingly, that “politics is no longer built around a traditional left-right axis. It is instead being reimagined around a disruptor – disrupted axis.”
The narrative goes that people have lost patience with the “establishment” and have an appetite for “insurgents”. The winners are those who can feed off this dissolution. For example, Reform has led the polls for months now and Nigel Farage has become the de-facto leader of the opposition. Meanwhile, a new progressive-left political party, established by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, has already attracted 700,000 members. The self-styled “eco-populist” Zack Polanski is the current favourite to win the Green Party leadership contest.
Young radicals
As is typical when times start to change, the driving force is said to be a discontented youth. Growing support for alternative political parties has been propelled by young voters, even if, in the case of Reform, this rightward shift is often overblown.
It is unsurprising that young people would want radical change to a system that has done so little for them. Housing is unaffordable, wages are stagnant, taxes are high, and student debts are eye-watering. The social contract between generations is broken.
The prospects of today’s young are grim. A fundamental change to the system is inevitable and anyone who believes otherwise needs to wake up.
Or at least, this has quickly become the prevailing view espoused by many commentators and publications.
Yearning for a simple life
This is indicative of a Westminster bubble that is out of touch with the actual wants and aspirations of actual young people across the country. To paint young people as radical misses the point.
What young people are asking for is not new, but rather things that were given for older generations: the ability to move out from their parents; to own a place of their own; a decent job on a fair wage; the decision to start a family be a personal, not an economic choice. They want enough disposable income to enjoy an occasional meal out and a yearly holiday without having to worry about the effects on their household finances. They want to build and participate in a community, rather than live in constant precarity and isolation; and cover their essential bills with enough left over to save for their own old ages.
Young people are not asking for much; their ambitions are in many ways uniquely humble. The vast majority do not want to overthrow the current system; they just want a stake in it.
Is revolution coming?
Grandiose theories of the collapse of a neoliberal consensus or changes in the national psyche are interesting intellectual exercises – and maybe have some credence. But there is a danger of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy by continuing to ignore the need for tangible intergenerationally fair policies to help young people in favour of advancing grand theories of systemic change.
What is more likely is that people want what they have always wanted. This failure to deliver to young people, which older generations have enjoyed as a given, has led to a loss of faith in a political system that has repeatedly belittled, ignored or u-turned on younger generations.
If young people’s interests begin to be considered and acted upon, then a “revolution” by the young will be far less likely.
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Photo by Jackson Simmer on Unsplash