The Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf said that his party’s mission will be to “remoralise” young people because they need a “sense of pride” in the UK and “in our history”. As someone who is 24 years old, this made me think about what it would take to change young people. Or maybe it is not the government but young people themselves who need to make a decision to change.
Not knowing
YouGov polls are an interesting way to see the views and attitudes of the British public. These polls also have a ‘Don’t know’ option.
According to a poll from 2023, ‘Who do you think is responsible for the war in Ukraine?’, 29% of those aged 18–25 and 20% of those aged 25–49 chose the ‘Don’t know’ option. In the poll ‘Do you think defence spending should be increased, decreased, or remain at about its current level?’, 26% of those aged 18–24 and 25% of those aged 25–49 responded with ‘don’t know’. The poll ‘Generally speaking, do you have a favourable or unfavourable opinion of the UK armed forces of today?’ shows that 26% of those aged 18–24 said they didn’t know.
In the August poll on the level of support for Ukraine among the British public, 18% of those aged 18–24 responded that they did not know who they wanted to win in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and 20% responded that they did not care who wins. In a July poll on the UK rejoining the EU, 18% of those aged 18–24 said they did not know.
The causes and consequences of not knowing
The conclusion can be drawn that many young people do not know the answers to these important questions compared with other age groups. Of course, when asked about a particular issue, the reasons why people think that they do not know which side to take can be multiple. Maybe an issue is too complex for them. Maybe people do not know much about a particular issue. Maybe people understand the issue but don’t see themselves supporting a particular side. Maybe people are too busy to think about which side to take.
But when it comes to significant issues, it is important to understand the consequences of unawareness. Having the willingness to know what is going on, doing research, and starting to ask yourself what you think, what other people think, whether this position is right, whether this position is wrong, whether you agree or whether you disagree is important. People between 18 and 30 years old have the responsibility to participate in Britain’s future, which is shaped by both domestic and international issues. But to be able to do so effectively, we must have knowledge and understanding of what is going on and participate in the structuring of Britain’s efficient response to particular issues.
What happened to reading books?
In March 2025, a YouGov poll regarding reading habits in British society found that 40% of Britons hadn’t read a single book in the last 12 months. Looking at the younger age groups, 47% of those aged 18–24 and 43% of those aged 25–49 had not read or listened to any books. Research by The Reading Agency shows that among young people aged 16–24, a quarter have never been regular readers, 44% of this group are now considered ‘lapsed readers’, and young adults (16–34) face the most barriers to reading, including lower enjoyment (55%), difficulty focusing (42%), and challenges finding relatable content (39%).
The reasons for not reading vary: for non-readers, lack of enjoyment and difficulty finding interesting content are major barriers, while lapsed readers mention life events, health issues and time spent on social media.
Reading books has been declining among all age groups, including young people. Social media, technology, and spending time in places like clubs, cafes and cinemas means that time for reading books has become limited. However, reading is important for our minds. One study showed that people who often read fiction have better social cognition, as they’re more skilled at working out what other people are thinking and feeling, which perhaps makes them behave better. If people who are between 18 and 30 right now could become enthusiastic readers, it would be better for British society.
Authoritarianism and extremism instead of democracy
Another dangerous tendency in the attitudes of young people is the loss of trust in democracy and the rise of support for authoritarianism. Young UK adults (18–24) are least likely to say democracy serves them well, with just 19% saying it operates well against 55% who say it works badly. Of those aged between 18 and 24, 19% agreed that the best system for running the country is a strong leader who does not have to bother with elections, and 13% answered ‘don’t know’. Among those aged 25–34, 21% said they would support a strong-leader system, and 19% said they did not know.
The Channel 4 report Gen Z: Trends, Truth and Trust also found that 33% of those aged 13–27 agreed that the UK would be better off ‘if the army was in charge’, and 47% agreed that ‘the entire way our society is organised must be radically changed through revolution’. This can be explained as an expression of frustration with the political establishment and desire for more positive change.
However, democracy and human rights are values that many people around the world do not have the opportunity to enjoy. It is important to remember that the UK is one of the strongest democracies in the world. Democracy and human rights are values that must be strengthened and cherished. If people who are between 18 and 30 right now will have responsibility for the future of Britain, then we must ensure that the UK remains a strong and stable democracy. After all, it is democracy that gives us the opportunity to express frustration with the political establishment. But it is also democracy that can turn that frustration into something extreme and radical.
Final advice
Reform UK considers that ‘remoralisation’ is all about instilling pride in Britain. But pride can only come if people like me contribute to Britain’s future. This requires improvements in our attitudes.
Here are some things that I aim to do, and that I would recommend to other 18–30-year-olds:
- Be curious about what is happening in the UK and around the world (it affects you and your future too) and try to understand your position (be prepared to admit it and learn if your position turns out to be wrong)
- Try to read books
- Learn not to take freedom and democratic values for granted
