Author Archives: Sam Foulder-Hughes

Winning over young people

By Sam Foulder-Hughes | Mon 26th June 2017 - 8:33 pm

Political parties can wither and die. It is important for any analysis of our general election performance to bear that in mind as we plot our strategy, because frankly the signs do not look all too healthy. We have lost our second place position in historic heartland seats such as Birmingham Yardley, Southport and Newquay and St Austell. It is more than possible that we could fall even further at the next general election.

Without a radical and liberal appeal to young people our party will not survive. This general election should have been our moment with 75% of 18-24 year olds voting for Remain in the referendum and the ghost of Eurosceptic Bennism leading the Labour party. At this critical juncture in our nation’s history only 9% of young people voted Liberal Democrat, many of them presumably voting tactically in seats where we are the only opposition to the Tories. We have already had a taste in Southport and Newquay and St Austell of what happens when people move from Labour-lite to the full fat version.