Jackson Peace

Jackson Peace, 21, is a student from the Isle of Wight

My home town on the Isle of Wight, one of the UK’s most deprived areas, and Bath, where I study at university, couldn’t be more different. But spend any time among the young people in these places, and you’ll notice an unmistakable similarity: a generation alienated from mainstream parties, with a vocal minority who find Reform’s message appealing.

Despite differences in demographics, young people in both areas are politically apathetic on the left as well as the right. At the University of Bath, the Conservative Association has welcomed Reform sympathisers but remains tiny. Far more students support the Left Union, but it still finds it difficult to channel that support into organised struggle. At Your Party meetings in both locations, meanwhile, turnout from young people is sparse.

It’s not that young people are flocking to Reform, but that parliamentary politics itself feels exhausted. Whether it’s the cost of rent in Bath or the scarcity of permanent work on the Isle of Wight, people see problems piling up and Westminster seems increasingly ineffective at resolving them. For some, Reform offers a narrative of rebellion, a way for people to vocalise their frustration, even if its targets are misplaced. But for most, disengagement is the name of the game. This isn’t to say that political energy has disappeared altogether. For example, local debates and campaigns around public transportation – ferries on the Island and buses in Bath – draw intense passion, including from young people. What’s dying isn’t politics per se, but faith in a parliamentary system that feels detached from people’s actual lives.

The answer won’t come from rebranding the same parties or lamenting extremism. We must rebuild politics where people are already fighting: in workplaces, universities and community campaigns. These are the spaces filled with potential, where we can organise together to improve our conditions. This won’t reach everyone – some will remain drawn to Reform’s simplistic answers – but it offers the only credible alternative: a politics rooted in solidarity rather than scapegoating.

Talia Woodin

Talia Woodin, 26, is an environmental activist based in north-east London

How can we convince people to change their minds about political and social issues? In the years I’ve spent campaigning, I’ve realised that the most effective strategy is storytelling. A compelling narrative is often the best way of encouraging people to look anew at an issue, or of winning them round to your way of seeing the world. Terrifyingly, the far right often does this most effectively.

Its straightforward and digestible narrative cuts through because it speaks directly to feelings of neglect and disenfranchisement that are particularly........

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