Interest in politics hits 25-year high
Brexit, Trump and Jeremy Corbyn have massively increased voter engagement
Interest in politics has reached a 25-year high in the UK, driven by Brexit, Donald Trump and Jeremy Corbyn’s left-wing agenda, new research has shown.
The British Social Attitudes Survey, which has put the same question to a large sample of electors at regular intervals since 1991, found 43% of voters are now quite or very engaged in politics.
Over the past 25 years, interest has hovered around 33%. The report’s authors attribute the sharp rise over the past two years to a combination of controversy over the Brexit referendum and negotiations as well as the more left-wing domestic agenda embraced by Labour under Corbyn.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
The survey also showed voters believe Labour and the Conservatives to be as far apart ideologically as they were in the 1960s and 1970s. At least 45% thought there was a big difference between the two main parties at the last election, compared to just 27% when David Cameron beat Ed Miliband in 2015.
Polling guru Sir John Curtice said this divide “obviously also helps to bring voters in general to the polls but is not necessarily helpful to Labour. It is going to help to increase turnout in general”.
The Times quoted the report’s authors as saying “heightened interest in politics may damage Mr Corbyn’s prospects as his supporters are less likely to vote”, and pointing to the fact that turnout among Tory supporters was 88% last year, but only 80% for Labour.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
A new continent is slipping through the cracks
Under the Radar Landmasses are not as stable as they seem
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: January 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: January 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
What's the future of FEMA under Trump?
Today's Big Question The president has lambasted the agency and previously floated disbanding it altogether
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
White House withdraws Trump's spending freeze
Speed Read President Donald Trump's budget office has rescinded a directive that froze trillions of dollars in federal aid and sowed bipartisan chaos
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Born this way
Opinion 'Born here, citizen here' is the essence of Americanism
By Mark Gimein Published
-
Charles Grassley: the senator in charge of Trump's legal agenda
In the Spotlight The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman in charge of Trump's legal agenda
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Caroline Kennedy urges Senate to reject RFK Jr.
Speed Read Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s cousin said he should not become President Donald Trump's health secretary, calling his medical views 'dangerous'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
China's backyard: will Trump's aggression push Latin America away?
Today's Big Question Rift between US and Colombia, threats of tariffs on Mexico, designs on Panama Canal and mass deportations could encourage closer ties with Beijing
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The biggest international naming disputes in history
The Explainer Nations have often been at odds with each other over geographic titles
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Trump sparks chaos with spending, aid freezes
Speed Read A sudden freeze on federal grants and loans by President Donald Trump's administration has created widespread confusion
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published