Channel 4 UK Tribes research - Young People and Politics - October 2014

Tribes: Power &
Participation
The issues affecting UK
16-24s in 2014

Why did we do it?
Part of Channel 4’s long standing dedication to young audiences
Important to understand what 16-24s are really thinking today
Perfect timing to get 16-24s higher on the agenda ahead of the 2015 general election

Quantitative: A nationally representative survey of 319 16-24 year olds via core4
Qualitative: A series of qualitative questions with over 60 responses and video blogging with 10 participates.
All part of our Your4/UK Tribes insight community
How did we do it?

1)Politics is on the agenda for 16-24s
2)Jobs are the biggest issue, and immigration is highly divisive
3)16-24s lean left and right on different issues, leave your assumptions behind
4)Despite being engaged in politics, engagement is often passive. Simple steps can engage more young people in politics.
4 things to know

4 things to know
1)Politics is on the agenda for 16-24s
2)Jobs are the biggest issue, and immigration is highly divisive
3)16-24s lean left and right on different issues, leave your assumptions behind
4)Despite being engaged in politics, engagement is often passive. Simple steps can engage more young people in politics.

49
25
26
Interested In Politics
Neutral
Not Interested In Politics
How would you rate your interest in politics and current affairs?
Half of 16-24s are interested in politics, only one quarter are not interested
% Agree
Source; core4/UK Tribes, 319 16-24 respondents & qualitative research

•Average guess: £66,386
•Highest guess: £600,000
•24% with £10k range of the actual amount
Actual: £67,060
How much are MP’s paid?
17
38
37
8
£10-30k
£31-50k
£51-100k
£100k +
% in range for estimating MPs Salary

45
55
Do you know who your local MP is?
Yes
No
Nearly half of 16-24s claim to know who their MP is
% agree
Those interested in politics = 60%

33
20
17
14
9
5
2
1
Labour
I Would Not
Vote
Green Party
Conservatives
UKIP
Liberal
Democrats
Other
BNP
If an election was called tomorrow, who would you vote for?
If only 16-24s could vote Labour would win the next election
Source; core4, Sept 14, YouGov survey October 10th
% Agree

33
20
17
14
9
5
2
1
35
6
5
30
15
9
1
0
Labour
I Would Not
Vote
Green Party
Conservatives
UKIP
Liberal
Democrats
Other
BNP
If an election was called tomorrow, who would you vote for?
16-24s
18+ Adults
If only 16-24s could vote Labour would win the next election
% Agree
Source; core4, Sept 14, YouGov survey October 10th

3
4
6
10
11
16
17
19
19
22
31
34
35
42
51
68
Alcohol
Drugs
Pensions
Bullying
Politics & Democracy
Immigration
Violence and Crime
Environment
Social Life
Sex & Relationships
Housing
Equality
Higher Education
Healthcare
Money & Debt
Jobs/Employment
Which four issues from this list are most important to you personally?
By a distance jobs and money are the biggest concern for 16-24s
The future is daunting because there’s no way to firmly know what will happen
“
”
% Agree

1
1
2
3
3
4
5
6
11
13
14
14
15
20
23
24
37
Alcohol
Social Life
Drugs
Pensions
Sex & Relationships
Bullying
None Of These
Politics & Democracy
Violence & Crime
Higher Education
Housing
Equality
Environment
Immigration
Healthcare
Money & Debt
Jobs/Employment
Which two issues require the most urgent action?
But if we ask them to pick their top two issues, there are some interesting differences
Who are you?
What are you doing to help Shropshire in any way?
“
”
% Agree

Which two issues are most important to 16-24s
No.
Issue
Top 4 Issues
1
Jobs/employment
68%
2
Money & debt
51%
3
Healthcare
42%
4
Higher education
35%
5
Equality
34%
6
Housing
31%
7
Sex & relationships
22%
8
Social life
19%
9
The environment
19%
10
Violence & crime
17%
11
Immigration
16%
12
Politics & democracy
11%
13
Bullying
10%
14
Pensions
6%
15
Drugs
4%
17
Alcohol
3%
No.
Issue
2 Most Important
1
Jobs/employment
37%
2
Money & debt
24%
3
Healthcare
23%
4
Immigration
20%
5
The environment
15%
6
Equality
14%
7
Housing
14%
8
Higher education
13%
9
Violence & crime
11%
10
6%
12
Bullying
4%
13
Sex & relationships
3%
14
Pensions
3%
15
Drugs
2%
16
Social life
1%
17
Alcohol
1%

Which two issues are most important to 16-24s
No.
Issue
Top 4 Issues
1
Jobs/employment
68%
2
Money & debt
51%
3
Healthcare
42%
4
Higher education
35%
5
Equality
34%
6
Housing
31%
7
Sex & relationships
22%
8
Social life
19%
9
The environment
19%
10
Violence & crime
17%
11
Immigration
16%
12
11%
13
Bullying
10%
14
Pensions
6%
15
Drugs
4%
17
Alcohol
3%
No.
Issue
2 Most Important
1
Jobs/employment
37%
2
Money & debt
24%
3
Healthcare
23%
4
Immigration
20%
5
The environment
15%
6
Equality
14%
7
Housing
14%
8
Higher education
13%
9
Violence & crime
11%
10
6%
12
Bullying
4%
13
Sex & relationships
3%
14
Pensions
3%
15
Drugs
2%
16
Social life
1%
17
Alcohol
1%

8
11
11
12
16
20
21
21
28
29
36
36
36
45
57
58
Healthcare
Jobs/employment
Violence & crime
Money & debt
Equality
Housing
Higher education
Environment
Bullying
Social life
Pensions
Immigration
Sex & relationships
Drugs
Alcohol
Which four issues from this list are least important to you personally?
The issues which are least important generally inverse
Even after gaining qualifications at university, some young people are struggling to gain full time employment
“
”

By a distance jobs & employment are the biggest concern for 16-24s
The issues often associated with young people are not big issues to them
Immigration is a divisive topic among young people

Purposely difficult
•Questions tackling topical and contentious issues
•Questions designed to force polarising views
•Provides a forced approach of what people really think

36
32
12
20
Children Should Be Receiving
Education On Sex
Children At This Age Are Too Young
Teaching Young Children About Sex
Is Likely To Put Pressure On Them
To Start Relationships
Parents Should Be Able Decide If They Don’t Want Their Children In Sex Education
The Lib Dems stated that sex education should start at the age of. Which of the following best describes your view on this?
There’s a confused split on sex education being taught earlier
% Agree
Net 44%

55
35
9
I Support Same-Sex Marriages And
Religious Institutions Should Not Be Able To
Discriminate
I Support Same-Sex Marriages But Believe
That Religious Institutions Should Be Able
To Opt-Out
I Oppose Same-Sex Marriages
Earlier this year, same-sex marriages were made legal in the UK. Which of the following best describes your view on this?
Only a minority don’t back same sex marriages
% Agree
Net 90%

60
24
9
6
Employers Should Be Able To Enquire
About Mental Health Problems, But
Only So They Can Provide Support
Employers Shouldn't Be Able To Ask
Mental Health
Employers Should Positively
Discriminate In Favour Of Candidates
With Mental Health Problems
Employers Should Be Able To
Discriminate Against Job Candidates
Who Have Suffered From Mental
Health Problems
Many believe that stigma about mental health still remains within the workforce.
Which of the following best describes your view on this?
The majority think that support should be given to people with mental health
% Agree
Net 84%

51
26
23
We Need To Reduce Unemployment Benefits
We Should Maintain Current Levels Of
Benefits But Make Community Work
Compulsory
We Need To Increase Unemployment
Benefits
Unemployment benefits and welfare reform is likely to be a key issue 2015.
Which of the following best describes your view on this?
There’s a clear split on unemployment benefits
% Agree
Net 49%

19
51
19
11
I think we should welcome all
immigrants.
I think that Britain should only
allow skilled workers who will
contribute
I think Britain needs to curb
immigration
I think we need to pull out of the
EU and stop immigration
The recent dramatic rise of UKIP has ignited a debate in government about immigration. Which of the following best describes your view on this?
The majority of 16-24s think that immigration needs to have some form of restriction
% Agree
Net 30%

20
21
22
26
35
37
46
48
54
Print News
Radio
Colleagues
News App
TV Programmes
Online News
Friends/Family
Social Media
TV News
How often do you use the following to keep informed about current affairs?
% Agree Regularly
TV is the no.1 medium for informing
16-24s, followed by Social Media

57
52
20
20
10
9
5
3
3
Discuss With
Friends And
Family
Sign A Petition
I Would Never
Do This
Share A Video
On Social
Media
Write To Your
MP
Participate In A
Protest
Change Your
Profile Picture
To A Campaign
Image
Record A Video
Blog
Other
In the last year, how have you registered your views about an issue of concern or importance to you?
Most of the engagement in politics is relatively passive
% Agree

48
40
36
27
27
25
17
9
Opposing
Parties
Working
Together More
Cohesively
More
Transparency
Less Internal
Conflict Within
Parties
Less Pressure
From The
Media
More Realistic
Expectations
From The
Public
Less
Bureaucracy
None Of The
Above
Increase Taxes
To Raise
Money For
Public
Spending
What do you think could be done to make an MP's job easier to do?
Less political fighting would help MP’s and engage 16-24s
% Agree

Opposing political parties spend so much time picking holes in each other and pointing the finger that to be honest, it makes it impossible to remain interested.
“
”

Offer more internships and graduate roles in MPs offices ...There could be a scheme where MPs could sign up to get an intern working for them.
“
”
Job opportunities. Less Middle class people in power. More working class people in Labour, Conservatives, Lib Dems.
Make jobs open to the public or work experience within the government - through all parties.
“
”
“
”
Practical solutions

Teach it as a subject in school
“
”
Make it compulsory in schools
Better teaching of politics from a young age…
“
”
“
”
Education, education, education
More education from a younger age
“
”
Better education in schools!
“
”
Bring it more into the education system
“
”
Make politics a subject that is regularly taught in most secondary schools.
“
”
“
”
Employ REAL people, who attended state schools and understand daily struggles of the youth of today

Listen
Engage
Learn
ntaylor@channel4.co.uk
Uktribes.com
@UKTribes

Channel 4 UK Tribes research - Young People and Politics - October 2014

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