Joshua Holmes, 29, from Barton Hill, Bristol, went out to vote in the local elections on Thursday afternoon. “The polling station was pretty quiet,” he said. “I was probably the youngest person there, and the only person in my shared house that voted.” He had registered as a voter a little over a month ago, and had not been aware that an election was taking place this week until a couple of days ago. “I had to be quite proactive to register to vote,” he said. “Nobody prompted me to do it, and two of my housemates said they’d have liked to vote, but weren’t registered. “We had one leaflet from the Green party through the door last month, but that’s it. This is probably the poorest area in Bristol I’ve lived in and we haven’t received anything else about the election.” Holmes, who has a higher education diploma in computer science, has been unemployed for about 10 years, primarily, he said, because of poor mental health.
“I’m definitely excited for the general election,” he said. “I was a big Corbyn fan, and now I’m a big Starmer fan. Despite some of his U-turns, it feels like he will change a lot of things in this country for the better.” Holmes was among scores of people under 30 who told the Guardian whether they intended to vote in UK elections this year, and how they felt about voting generally. While many young people who got in touch said they would definitely cast their ballots locally and nationally, many also said they were unimpressed with the political choices on offer, with a number saying they were unlikely to vote, undecided whether they would bother, or unsure whom to vote for. Scores of people said they were frustrated by how similar Labour and the Conservatives seemed to be in their plans for the country, such as Alexandra, 25, who works in finance and lives in London. “I never thought it would be a question as to whether I would vote or not,” she said. “However, I am so disillusioned and angry with our party leaders and MPs that I am now contemplating the effect my vote will actually have. I can’t really see a bright future for our country, economy and public services, no matter who gets in.” The one-bedroom flat Alexandra is renting with her partner costs £1,625 a month, plus bills. Despite having a healthy gross annual income and being able to save a bit each month towards a mortgage, she is actively contemplating moving to Canada or New Zealand. “No matter how much people try to make a living here, it’s futile, there are so many roadblocks,” she said. “We can’t afford living costs or houses, nothing is done about climate change, we’re forced to use private healthcare if we want to see a doctor. Fifty per cent of my friends have moved abroad, and the rest are actively thinking about it. “I’m tending towards not voting. Even the Labour party is too detached from the concerns of young people, and nothing will change enough to have a real impact on our lives. We’re just not heard by the parties.” A few respondents said they were not going to vote because of Keir Starmer’s stance on a ceasefire in Gaza. Ethan, 28, an insurance representative from Newcastle, was one of many who bemoaned the electoral system for effectively forcing voters to choose between the two main parties. “I’m not going to vote,” he said. “In the last few elections I have voted Lib Dem as I truly believed they would make the biggest difference. However, I’m no longer going to delude myself into thinking that voting anything but Labour or Conservative will actually affect anything.” Annie Wyatt, 28, who works in human resources and lives in Ipswich, said the effective two-party system was one of her concerns, too. But Wyatt is convinced her vote can make a difference, and she has voted in every local and national election that she has been eligible to. “It’s not ideal that it’s a two-party race, regardless of how promising the other choices may be. “But in my mind, voting is a civic responsibility. Voter turnout in Ipswich was 65.6% in the last general election, and historically the area has switched between Labour and Conservative, so I definitely feel that every vote matters.” Although she will vote for Labour, she said the party’s offering so far had not exactly swept her off her feet. “They’re not as great as I’d like them to be, but what’s the alternative? One of the biggest concerns I have is the voting apathy within my social circles. “I have two siblings of voting age who have never voted. I tell them all the time to sign up for a postal ballot, but then they aren’t sure who to vote for because they find it intimidating to engage and keep up with political news.” For 22-year-old Thomas Phillips, a teaching assistant from Salford, there is no question that he will vote, but he feels fairly convinced that few things will change for the better.
“I am planning to vote in both the local elections and the upcoming general election, but I don’t believe it makes a difference,” he said. “I’m concerned with pretty much everything in this country at the minute. “It seems that Labour are hellbent on disappointing, but it can’t be worse than the current lot. The cancellation of HS2 to Manchester was the perfect metaphor for the lack of ambition the UK has for itself. “I won’t be able to afford to have kids until my mid- to late 30s, and worry if I will be priced out of Manchester as it is getting increasingly more expensive.” He hopes that Labour will prioritise building more social housing in central locations, tackling the climate crisis and saving the NHS. “I’d also like Labour to nationalise the utility companies and national rail, do HS2, and move closer to Europe again, but I’m not expecting much. It’s more about getting the Tories out than getting Labour in.” A 27-year-old software engineer from London who wanted to stay anonymous said: “I’m registered, but will only vote if I have time on the day. “I don’t feel looked at or represented in their policies. I feel like our government – whether it’s Labour or Tory – tends to [continue] doing the same thing and staying the course. As a country we’re not forward thinking.” She added: “Until our government starts really thinking about how to improve our quality of life, perhaps by looking at what other countries do, I’ll feel like voting won’t do anything.” Kat, 21, from Kent, who is about to complete her English literature degree and is looking for a full-time graduate job, feels a bit more hopeful. “I’m registered to vote and I’m planning to vote Labour. “I have the maximum student maintenance loan, my family home is rented, my father relies on Pip payments since a brain injury last year caused him to have a life-changing disability. “I don’t feel that Labour policies go far enough, such as on climate change. A lot of them have been watered down, but I understand why they have done that. For me, and all of my social circle, voting Conservative is unconscionable. “Many of us have very small aspirations: earning enough money to not worry about budgeting a food shop, being able to rent without it crippling our finances, not having to choose between heat and electricity. “I really do hope Labour will be able to drag us out of this untenable pit.” • This article was amended on 3 May 2024 to remove a personal detail.