There are more people who have not yet voted for the Conservative Party than could ever leave it for Ukip. My party needs to remember: all voters matter, not just those Tories being wooed by Nigel Farage. The real prize is not stopping voters defecting to Ukip – it is making the Conservative Party the natural home for the next generation.
In Britain today we have a dwindling generation of older people who use their vote, and a growing camp of younger people who don’t. Does that mean we shouldn’t bother with the young? Absolutely not. It would be wrong to ignore this phenomenon. Politicians need to meet it head on, and quickly.
Most of today’s 18-24 year olds are not voting. Only 44 per cent turned out in 2010 and, since then, at worst, double that percentage said that they don’t plan to vote. And Britain’s problem is worse than elsewhere in Europe and the US.
Could the problem solve itself? Today’s young people could naturally bounce into voting when they’re a bit older, but I don’t believe that they will.
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