Mike Hosking: There is no 'youth quake'

Opinion

If you subscribe to the "numbers don't lie" line of thinking, the youth quake isn't coming.

We know this because the number of registered votes for the younger age groups is down.

And you'd be right to wonder out loud: how this is possible? As of yesterday, in the 18-24 age group, 68% were enrolled to vote, compared with 76% last time. In the 25 to 29 age bracket, it was 76% compared with 81%.

What is it youth need to get energised?

Much was made of the youth quake in Britain, but a couple of things were at play there that aren't here.

1. Labour promised eye-watering amounts of free education, so much so, that after they lost and totted up the cost they worked out they couldn't afford it and backed down on the promise.

2. It was a snap poll and snap polls never go well for governments.

But here, look at what potentially is at stake. Here you have generational change in the offing. A new young leader, and a leader that packs them out at universities.

A leader that allegedly speaks to the young peoples concerns: climate change, education, the environment. So why aren't they out? And what makes it worse, is that early voting is through the roof. Those numbers are 806,000 as of yesterday, compared with 435,000 last time.

So it's not like people aren't into it, and getting out early. It's just not the ones Labour so desperately needs. That early voting by the way, they think that by tomorrow as many of 40% of all voters will have ticked their box. Which is up on last year, and up again on the election before. So many are asking, what does it mean? I would argue: nothing. All it means is that voting is becoming increasingly easy and convenient. And as such people take the opportunity when it is presented to them.

The days of making it an occasion on a Saturday, and taking the kids along and showing them how democracy works, are fast coming to a close. If you put booths in supermarkets, people are going to kill several birds with one stone. And that is no bad thing.

It's good for democracy, and the more people who vote, the better.

But, it's a lifestyle thing, not a sign of any cataclysmic change to a government. If there was upheaval pending, it seems most agree we would be seeing the young people get active and we simply are not. So potentially bad news for the Labour party, but
bad news in general, because I just can't see what it is that gets youth active and energised.

If this campaign didn't, nothing will.