Young people turn away from main parties in European Mock Elections

Independents and ‘others’ attract under-18s  /  Conservatives are largest party  /  Greens do particularly well with young people

Young people taking part in the Hansard Society Y Vote Mock Elections for the European Parliament returned fewer MEPs for the main political parties than their adult counterparts in the real Euro elections. All major parties saw a drop in support; the Conservative Party was the largest party with 17 seats and the Green Party was the only one that performed better in the mock elections. However, independents and parties created by pupils themselves were the big winners.

This is how MEPs would have been returned if the results had translated into real seats:

• Independent/Other * 21
• Conservative 17
• Green 12
• Labour 8
• UKIP 7
• Lib Dem 5
• SNP 2

Y Vote Mock European Elections were run in schools throughout the UK and mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election. They are organised by the Hansard Society and aim to give students a full understanding of the principles of the democratic process and the role of the European Parliament.

 Adam Wilkinson, Y Vote Project Manager, commented: ‘Y Vote mock elections enable pupils to debate issues that matter to them while gaining experience of how an election works. These results are particularly interesting as they highlight how hard the main parties will have to work to gain the support of younger voters.’

 Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, commented: ‘For many, the mock elections will have provided their first real taste of democracy and I hope the experience will encourage them to participate in the political process in the future.’