There was no actual surge in youth turnout in the 2017 election according to a new study, and the impression of the so-called ‘Youthquake’ which has been credited with boosting the fortunes of hard-left leader Jeremy Corbyn was manufactured according to a new study, reports Bloomberg.
The financial news service reports:
The “youthquake” that helped opposition Labour Party leader wipe out U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May’s majority in the 2017 election perhaps didn’t actually happen.
That is the takeaway from a study based on face-to-face interviews with 2,194 eligible voters between June 26 and Oct. 1. The academics working on the British Election Study dismissed as a “myth” the notion that gained prominence after last year’s vote that Labour had been boosted by a surge in turnout among the youngest voters.
They said the impression was likely created by anecdotal evidence such as Corbyn being often photographed by crowds of young people, and attracting the adoring chant of “Oh Jeremy Corbyn” at last year’s Glastonbury music festival.
Read the rest at Bloomberg.com