WIREDGOV

A promise that the new government will devolve powers from MPs in Westminster to their local area would encourage 18 to 24-year-olds to vote in the General Election, a national poll revealed yesterday.

Just a third (32 per cent) of 18 to 24-year-olds polled by ComRes, for the Local Government Association (LGA), said they are certain to vote in May's election.

Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) said a manifesto commitment to shift power and funding for public services from Westminster to their local community would be important in enticing them out to the ballot box on May 7.

Half (51 per cent) said national TV debates between the main party leaders would encourage them to vote and just 26 per cent would be persuaded by celebrities.

Other findings of the survey of young people include:

• 73 per cent said decisions about how local public services are run should be made by their local council rather than national government in Westminster.
• Three-quarters (75 per cent) of 18 to 24-year-olds believe their local council is best placed to make decisions about services for young people in their area as opposed to MPs (12 per cent).
• Seven in 10 (71 per cent) said they would find it easier to influence services run by their local council rather than those run by MPs in Westminster.

Despite young people trusting councils more than central government and MPs when it comes to their local area, too many local decisions – such as how to give young people the advice, skills and experience needed by local businesses – are dictated by government.

While today's youngsters are more likely to volunteer, to care for others and to engage in social issues than previous generations, young people in the UK vote less than in any other country in the European Union.

The LGA has set out how radically devolving power to local areas could save the public purse £11 billion and allow local government to build half a million new homes, halve the number of unemployed young people and reduce long-term unemployment by a third.

LGA Chair Cllr David Sparks said:

"With only a third of 18 to 24-year-olds certain to head to the ballot box in May, much more clearly needs to be done to engage them in the political process.

"What really matters to young people across the country is receiving a good education, having access to jobs and the chance to get onto the housing ladder. Our poll shows these are the important issues at stake at this election for 18 to 24-year-olds and that they want these big issues tackled by their local area and not by MPs in Westminster.

"Devolving greater powers to communities across England would free councils to take decisions based on what young people actually need and want and get on with the job of improving transport, creating jobs and providing desperately needed new homes.

"This is a clear vote-winner."

Notes to editors

1. ComRes interviewed 1,001 English adults aged 18-24 online between February 13 and 26, 2015. Data was weighted to be representative of all English adults aged 18-24.
2. The LGA's campaign ‘Investing in our future: the first 100 days of the next government' outlines a raft of measures which, if implemented, would save the public purse £11 billion, tackle the country's housing crisis, ensure every child had a place at a good school, reduce long-term unemployment, address the pothole backlog and improve the nation's health. Visit www.100days.local.gov.uk for more details.

Contact

Greg Burns, Senior Media Relations Officer
Local Government Association
Telephone: 020 7664 3184
Email: greg.burns@local.gov.uk
Media Office (for out-of-hours contact): 020 7664 3333
Local Government House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ