Dear John,
This morning, there was much to celebrate for 18-year-olds up and down the country as A-Level results were published. Record numbers of pupils got the grades for their first choice university, with the proportion of grades above a ‘C’ higher than any year outside of COVID.
But on Tuesday, there was a different statistic published about young people – one that is cause for great concern: According to a survey published by the Adam Smith Institute, 33% of 18-30-year-olds would prefer authoritarianism to govern Britain, rather than democracy.
This is a stat that should deeply concern us all. For 33% of young people in our society to say they would “prefer an authoritarian system led by a decisive figure, even if it meant sacrificing some democratic freedoms” rejects the very principles upon which modern Britain is established, and has defended in war.
Whilst this news may be music to the ears of Reform UK and Nigel Farage, it’s clear this growing support for an authoritarian system of government isn’t born out of some perverse yearning for fascism or a ‘strong-man’ leader. It’s the outcome of an increasing rejection of a democratic system which is so broken that it fails to meet the basic needs its participants.
And some of the other data collected by the ASI proves this:
And this data is completely compatible with what we hear every day. Whether it’s speaking with our supporters, comments on our Substacks, or vox pops in Clacton or Durham – young people simply do not believe politics is working for them.
And who can blame them? It’s never been more expensive to rent, let alone own a home. It’s never been so difficult to seek support for mental health issues, proven to have been exacerbated by COVID. And on a day when so many young people should be looking forward to further education and the exciting next stage of their lives – far too many will need to consider whether the significant economic outlay will be worthwhile.
The solutions to all of these complex issues facing our young people won’t be found overnight. But they will NEVER be found in the empty promises of authoritarian populism, Reform UK, or Nigel Farage.
The best chance we have to restore hope amongst this generation is not to reject our democracy, but to rejuvenate it completely, and make it more resolute. And that’s where Open Britain comes in.
The most immediate improvement to our democracy we must make is to change the way we elect MPs.
First-Past-The-Post has never been truly representative of the will of the people, but in the multi-party system in which we now live – it is broken beyond repair. It’s destroying trust in our politics and politicians, and producing a winner-takes-all politics that enables governments to ignore the will of the people far too often – especially when it has a huge majority.
The myth that FPTP produces strong and efficient governments has been disproven. It breeds complacency, and a feeling that nothing ever changes.
That’s why - in our role driving the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections - we are pushing for a National Commission on Electoral Reform (NCER) as the prudent first step towards a more proportional system that would:
More accurately represent the views of everyone in the electorate
Produce more stable results (FPTP delivers chaos in a fragmented system)
Acknowledge, not ignore, that British democracy is now in a multi-party age
Deliver governments that can’t force through hugely unpopular policies
Enable the ‘change’ the British people are crying out for.
This is a simple, much-needed upgrade to our democracy – but one which we need YOUR help to fight for.
The government will soon publish its Elections Bill. In anticipation of this, we have been working with MPs and Lords to rally behind our call for an NCER, to persuade the government to make this crucial democratic reform.
This is a huge opportunity for our democracy, and with your backing, we can keep pushing government, to ensure they restore the trust in our politics that has so dramatically deteriorated.
Please could you donate £15 today – or however much you can afford – to help us power the pushback against Farage and the rise of authoritarianism?
