Millennials are stressed, frightened and angry about the implications of Britain’s exit from the EU, according to a report commissioned by a parliamentary committee looking into the impact of Brexit on young people.
Researchers from the London School of Economics (LSE) found that the majority of the young people in the UK surveyed in the study blamed the June referendum result on older voters.
"A significant majority express bemusement, anger, and resentment at the choice to leave the EU, which was made - in their view - primarily by older generations," the report said.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Latest Videos From
Millennials are particularly worried that politicians are failing to tackle the social as well as economic implications of the Brexit vote. Respondents expressed concern about “rising intolerance, discrimination and racism in British society” as well as “the decline of Britain's tolerant and multicultural image” abroad.
Only a “small minority” expressed optimism about the referendum result, and some of those only did so “because it had motivated young people to become less passive”, The Independent reports.
The report, compiled for the All Party Parliamentary Group on a Better Brexit for Young People, involved 40 focus groups, a YouGov poll of over 3,000 diverse respondents and five consultations.
LSE academic Dr Shakuntala Banaji, one of the report’s authors, said the project had revealed that many young people held “sophisticated and critical views” about the Brexit debate and the task now facing the government.
Labour MP Stephen Kinnock, chair of the all-party parliamentary group, said the report demonstrated the need for an inclusive “national conversation" on Brexit.
"Young people want a voice in the Brexit process, and not one that is politely listened to and then dismissed," he said.
