Young People and Brexit – One year on

The EU referendum was one of the most remarkable events in British politics for generations: it led to a redefining of the relationship between the UK and the European Union, the resignation of a sitting Prime Minister, to more young people voting than in any election since the 1990s, and it is now related to the calling of a 2017 General Election. The political, economic and social fallout of the referendum and Brexit will define the next general election. Young people occupy a distinctive position within this unpredictable and turbulent political context: for many, the result of the referendum was a bitter disappointment, and they find themselves confronted by a political elite and electorate in which a clear majority supports a Brexit process to which they are deeply opposed.

The short and long term consequences of the EU Referendum and Brexit on young people’s political engagement, their attachment to the political process, and their decisions in the 2017 General Election will be explored at this one day conference hosted by the Wales Institute for Social and Economic Research, Data & Methods. The conference will be divided into two parts: the morning sessions will provide a forum in which to share the latest academic research and insights in the fields of youth political engagement and participation including election results from the 8 June; and the afternoon session will focus on debating how young people can be better represented in the Brexit process, in light of the election results, including discussion with young people on how it can be used to stimulate their engagement with electoral politics in future.

Introduction

Welcome and Introduction from Professor Ian Rees Jones, Director of WISERD

 

Young People & the 2017 General Election

Chris Curtis, YouGov

 

Young People and the EU Referendum

Chair: Dr Sioned Pearce

Against the Tide: Young People and the 2016 Brexit Referendum
Dr James Sloam, Royal Holloway, University of London

British youth and the 2016 EU Referendum: preliminary findings from the ‘#Votebecause’ project
Professor Matt Henn, Nottingham Trent, Dr James Sloam, Royal Holloway, University of London, Dr Ben Kisby, University of Lincoln and Dr Ben Oldfield, Nottingham Trent University

Young people’s views on EU Referendum and its impact on support for votes for 16 year olds
Dr Rhian Barrance, WISERD, Cardiff University

 

Generational Divides and Brexit

Chair: Professor Chris Taylor

How the Intergenerational Transmission of Euroscepticism affected support for Brexit in the EU Referendum
Dr Stuart Fox, Jen Hampton, Professor Chris Taylor and Dr Esther Muddiman, WISERD, Cardiff University

Were the young really “screwed by older generations”? Evidence from the British Election Study
David Kingman, the Intergenerational Foundation

How deep is the Divide? Generational Trends in Euroscepticism
Dr Stuart Fox & Dr Sioned Pearce, WISERD, Cardiff University

 

The Role of Institutions in Youth Engagement post-Brexit

Chair: Professor Ian Rees Jones

The Role of Religion in the Brexit vote
Dr Ekaterina Kolpinskaya, Swansea University and Dr Stuart Fox, WISERD,
Cardiff University

Old fractures for new generations? The role of social class in young people’s vote choice in the Brexit referendum
Davide Angelucci, Royal Holloway, University of London

The role of the media in political view formation among under 18s
Dr Sioned Pearce, WISERD, Cardiff University

Dynamic Networks of News Exposure of Young People: Online Traffic During the 2016 Brexit Campaign
Prof Susan Banducci, Dr Lorien Jasny, Dr Travis Coan, Dr Iain Weaver, Prof Hywel Williams, Dr Iulia Cioroianu, University of Exeter

 

The Legacy of Brexit

Chair: Dr Rhian Barrance

Did the EU Referendum Boost Youth Engagement with Politics?
Dr Stuart Fox & Dr Sioned Pearce, WISERD, Cardiff University

Being young in Brexit Britain: Student attitudes towards, and aspirations after, the Brexit referendum
Dr Avril Keating, Centre for Global Youth, UCL

Democratic Devolution: Youth Citizenship in the wake of Brexit
Dr Andy Mycock, University of Huddersfield

 

The Impact of Brexit – Language and Identity

Chair: Professor Rhys Jones

Young People in Wales: the impact of Brexit
Dr Elin Royles and Dr Dyfan Powel, Aberystwyth University and Catrin James, Urdd Gobaith Cymru

 

Young people and Political Engagement

Chair: Professor Paul Chaney

The #Votebecause project & future projects that could enable young people to ‘take back control’
Dr Ben Bowman, University of Bath

Youth political participation in Europe: a cross national analysis
Magdelina Kitanova, University of Southampton

Engaging young people with Voting Advice Applications
James Andrews, Swansea University

 

Roundtable and Q&A: Engaging Young People with Politics Post-Brexit: including academic, youth and political representatives
Chair: Professor Paul Chaney