Priorities between generational dynamics
Young people, specifically those aged 18-24, stand out as an anomaly in their attitudes to inequality and fairness. They are significantly more likely to say that there is not a division between the haves and have-nots; that this gap is not a problem; that there is not too little being done to reduce the gap; that there is not too little done to help people with the rising cost of living; and they are the least likely to think most young people can only afford to buy a house if their family can help them financially.
This runs counter to popular perceptions of young people’s political views, and is particularly counter-intuitive given young people are the group joint most likely to say they have had to make lifestyle changes in response to the rising cost of living (98 per cent, compared to 88 per cent overall). Factors that could be driving these results include young people still living at home (the average age for moving out of the family home is 24.6), being at university which can insulate against some elements of the rising cost of living, or potentially sampling effects in the polling.
There is also some evidence to suggest that young people are less likely to consider inequality in socioeconomic terms. When asked to compare cost of living against other policy issues, in February 18-24-year-olds were the only group to (narrowly) prioritise ‘Taking action to tackle climate change and protect the environment’, along with ‘Preventing racism in society’ (a 10-point margin). Although by May they ranked cost of living as more important in both cases, with this position furthered by September, they were still more likely than any other age group to opt for those two issues instead. As such, ideas of ‘cultural’ rather than economic inequality seem to be more motivating to young people than older generations.
However, when it comes to how to tackle tackling inequality, young people are more in-sync with the public at large – and are equally motivated by a framing that focuses on the tangible impacts of inequality. When asked about ways to make Britain fairer, ‘increasing wages for low-paid workers’ is consistently the most common top response for 18–24-year-olds, followed by ‘make housing more affordable’. 18–24-year-olds were also the most likely to express support for ‘increasing benefits payments.
